


Wild

by ZeroApathy



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, Blood, Blood and Violence, Childhood Friends, Demons, Developing Relationship, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Full Moon, Homophobic Language, Knotting, Language, Love, M/M, Masturbation, Mates, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Oral Sex, Original Character(s), Original Slash, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pack Dynamics, Plot, Possessive Behavior, Romance, Rough Sex, Slow Burn, Supernatural Elements, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Vampires, Werewolf Biology, Werewolf Culture, Werewolf Mates, Werewolves, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-02-18 09:03:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 84,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13096818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZeroApathy/pseuds/ZeroApathy
Summary: Love was a cruel and unpredictable thing; chaining him into a unrequited love for his best friend for longer than he would care to admit. His best friend who never told him he was a wild creature of the night and danced under the light of the moon. Or the horror that awaited those in mortal flesh who grew to close to the night.





	1. Chapter 1

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_"Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend." **— Albert Camus**_

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Have you ever had that best friend who you loved so much but at the same time, wondered _how_ you became best friends with that person in the first place?

Well, that was how Leiss felt perhaps 99.9 percent of the time. He just had enough self-control to not say it.

A singular, discreet cough came from the girl in his arms, her brown eyes probing him with an urgency that brought him back to reality, where he was in the middle of a play and he was supposed to be whispering words of tragic love to the dying girl beneath him. Oh how uncharacteristic of him to get distracted during a show. But his thoughts, for once, wasn’t occupied by giving his best performance, but by the unoccupied seat in the front row looking rather forlorn in its emptiness.

Leiss recomposed himself into the agonized visage of the young student, Marius Pontmercy:

_“But you will live, Eponine—dear God above! If I could close your wounds with words of love—”_

With words of love indeed. Leiss wondered in dark amusement how his friend was going to justify his lateness when he promised to be there. He could think of a couple off the top of his head: “I lost my shoes somewhere and I couldn’t make it. Didn’t want to dirty my socks”, or “Mother Nature was calling—too much water, you know?” The list could go on and on without end and by the time they grew increasingly more ludicrous, Leiss’s poor, creative brain couldn’t take it anymore. As much as he loved a good story, ridiculousness was something that he didn’t easily tolerate.

_“Just hold me now, and let it be. Shelter me… Comfort me…”_

Ah, dear Eponine—or rather dear Amanda (one of his good friends)—how unfortunate to have met such a tragic end, dying in the arms of your one-sided love, portrayed rather expertly if he did say so himself. And not to put a dim light on his own acting skills—he was head of the drama club when he wasn’t arguing (affectionately) with Amanda over it. They said the best ideas came from opposing forces, a destructive but harmonious collision that often resulted in something good. But still… Partially distracted, hazel orbs couldn’t help but drift from the dramatically expiring figure in his arms to what he could guarantee was an empty seat—

That wasn’t so empty after all.

So much warmth suffused Leiss’s heart that he almost lost control of his facial expression, literally on the precipice of breaking out into a soft smile as opposed to the anguished one that was required of him. It wasn’t without difficulty. Just seeing those sea-green eyes grinning from within a smirking, lightly tanned face was more rewarding than the applause they got from after a show. All those thoughts and imaginations of comical vengeance blew away like wisps of smoke from a dying flame, tamed by a downpour of forgiveness. At least…well at least, he made it. And for that, he was happy enough.

_“You will live a hundred years. If I could show you how… I won’t desert you now…”_

And the show carried on just like that without any further, infinitesimal acting hiccups from him, spurred on by that ever watchful gaze that meant more to him than the hundreds of other gazes that was in the audience. When it was time to receive their applause, all the cast and stage crew lined together, he could only hear the boy in the auburn football jacket whistling and clapping madly like a man possessed. In those eyes he saw congratulations…among other things, some which made him delightfully apprehensive to what was to come later. But his friend was patient, despite the brief party that his crew threw together for another great performance, leaving him a text that he would wait for him outside.

“Eager to get to your boyfriend I see…going from how your eyes are just glued to that phone. Stare into it hard enough and you’ll microwave your brain.”

The addressed couldn’t stop himself from startling, almost having dropped his phone before quirking a golden brow at his brunette friend, trying not to scowl despite having the mind to do so. “Erik isn’t my boyfriend—he’s my friend. We’ve been over this like…a million times? Correction, two million times.”

“Yeah, a boy that’s your friend: boyfriend. What did you think I meant?” The girl teased innocently, chuckling as her blond co-actor rolled his eyes and put away his phone, humoring her silliness about microwaves despite how his brain protested with logic and science.

“Something that you shouldn’t imply lest someone’s obsessions with My Little Pony gets released to the public…”

The girl’s eyebrow twitched. “You have no proof.”

“Oh, but I do Amanda. Want to try me? I’m sure everyone would understand why you fantasize about Applejack and Rainbow Dash being—”

“Before you finish that sentence Leiss, you should just eat a dick. You’re not the same when you’re hungry,” interjected the brunette with a huff, amusing her blonde friend who was more than a little satisfied to get a raise out of her.

“Oh, don’t be so crude! You know I don’t just like any old—”

“Ack! Alright, I get it! Go be with your not-boyfriend! Text me later so we can talk about the show and your not-date,” she exclaimed, nearly shoving him through the door that led right outside the school, nearly tumbling down the steps in his laughter. Jokes about his orientation were fine; he knew how to take a joke. But he always tried to make sure he gave it as good as he got it, excluding the sexual implications that came with such a statement. Well, that wasn’t one hundred percent true. He didn’t mind jokes from those he considered friends or those he knew didn’t mean it to be insulting. Leiss was openly gay (well he considered it open when you took into account how “vocal” he could be about somethings) so of course there was a curious stare or two sometimes. But thankfully, modern times were advancing so he had the luxury to live in an age where it had become something rather trendy. The blond rather hated trends, but he genuinely was attracted to males, and had been this way for as long as he could remember.

Sometimes…a dark part of him whispered in his ear at night that maybe there was a reason for his attraction to the same sex.

A reason that involved green eyes, black hair, and a cocksure grin.

Wasn’t it supposed to be a fun night? Shouldn’t unwelcome thoughts be locked up in a box somewhere?

_Yes it should…_

It was like an involuntary reaction the way the corner of his lips quirked into a smile that was perhaps only reserved for the other boy leaning comfortable against a familiar apple-red vehicle, one hand in his jean pockets while the other thumbing out words on his phone. Black hair was a disheveled, wild mess as always but it still managed to settle into some type of attractive disarray; thin lips were formed into an impressive pout that probably had something to do with whatever was on his screen; yet those eyes, the one that flickered up upon his presence closing in, was what got him every time. But he was an actor—he liked to believe he could expertly mask his face to reflect whatever he deemed appropriate for the situation.

And according to him, the situation demanded he give his best friend an accusatory frown, carefully hiding genuine amusement behind his eyes.

“I’m still deciding on whether I should forgive you or not.”

The reaction was instantaneous. Erik had already launched himself off the car to stand mere inches from the blond, expression incredulous. “What? I was there… _I was there!_ ”

“30 minutes prior to, yes. But that’s not what you told me earlier. Now if memory serves me right, I think it went something like: ‘I’ll be there so early that you would think I'm a die-hard fan or something!”. Pretty sure I even got your tone and everything right too…”

“I don’t sound that derpy Leiss—that’s mean,” Erik had the gall to actually look affronted, looking much like a kicked puppy, which rolled harmlessly over the blonde’s stoic exterior as he tutted and walked around to the passenger seat of the car, letting himself in with the keys. Still affronted, the black-haired teen tugged expectantly on the door handle, grunting when the door refused to budge. Jet-black brows furrowed together. “Leiss—”

“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep. Especially knowing how I can be.” As he said this, he made a dramatic motion of making himself comfortable propped up against the door, chin in his palm, quite clearly entertained.

“Yes, petty. Extremely petty, mind you. Can you please let me in—?”

“I prefer righteously vengeful—”

“Don’t make me start singing.”

Not another word was necessary before the door clicked open and Erik was easing his way into the driver’s seat, giving his friend a rather fiery glare that didn’t faze the blonde who just smiled back, laughing in blatant silence as he handed him the car key. “That was a pretty extreme threat you know. You, singing? The whole world will burn.”

“Stepped in dog shit or something? Your being more of an ass than usual.” As if agreeing with him, the small car (so lovingly named “Nick” by its owner) grumbled to life upon being fed the keys. “I mean that’s cool and everything—I’m kind of used to it…”

“Oh don’t play the victim Erik. You know I’m not really upset with you.” The fun had to die there. As much as his friend liked to play the act of testosterone-induced jock, he could be surprisingly sensitive. Well with him at least. Sure he was grateful that the other felt comfortable to expose his sensitivities to him, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it all the time. It made teasing difficult sometimes when you began to feel like you was making fun of a puppy that broke its paw. “Doesn’t mean I don’t want some kind of explanation though.”

Erik paused as he was adjusting the mirrors and such, biting his lip in a cute show of thought. Leiss found his throat tightening, if only briefly, at the display before he inwardly chided himself for such a pitiable reaction. “Practice kind of ran a little late. Couch wants us to be in tip-top shape for the game next week so you know how he gets. Extra drills, more exercises till we can’t move and such. You know, the works.”

Right. “You, not being able to move? I think the world would sooner meet its end in brimstone and fire.”

The grin that was shot his way almost melted his stony expression. _Almost._ “Hey! Even I have limits. Not to mention shower time took a little longer as well. The guys were arguing about whose dick was bigger—”

“ _What?”_

“Kidding! Jeez, Leiss don’t look at me like that. Wouldn’t that be kind of…I don’t know…gay or something?”

Blank hazel’s blinked slowly in response, unreadable. “You tell me.”

The football player shrugged, not caring enough to give it much thought, but hearing the tight edge in his friend’s voice was more than enough incentive to quickly attempt (key word) to rectify whatever verbal mistake he made. “I guess it would be…but it really didn’t happen. I mean we all know whose junk is bigger—”

“ _Erik!_ ”

The exasperation in his friend’s voice spurred the other to put the car into drive and head out onto the street, snickering at his own immaturity while narrowly avoiding a swipe at his head from his friend. As much as Leiss loved teasing him, Erik loved pushing his buttons in equal volumes. Even though his preference lay in the more feminine sex, that didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy making questionable jokes about orientation in general. He was one of those types that was easily comfortably in his masculinity to not be offended by quips against his sexuality, which was something that Leiss deeply appreciated. It made coming out to his friend (childhood best friend honestly) less stressful than he made it to be in his mind. It helped that Erik was rather simple, so simple that it was almost painful sometimes.

“Mind if I put on some tunes?”

A noncommittal sound of acknowledgement was all Erik received as an answer before he pressed a button on the wheel and immediately blanched in actual horror at the assault of organ music blasting throughout the car. “What the actual hell, Leiss? You listen to this creepy crap? It sounds like the Addams family on steroids.”

The blond looked deceptively offended, contorting his expression to one of innocent confusion. “Toccata and Fugue in D minor by Bach? You don’t like it?”

“Bach? Is that some sort of cigar or something?” There was no denying the perplexed inflection in his voice, having hurriedly turned the music to a level more associated with that of a church mouse.

“Honestly Erik,” the exasperation was back, just a smidgen more light-hearted this time around, “I wonder if all the time we’ve been together has had any influence on you _at all_.”

“Mmm…I’ve learned how to find my way out of the auditorium without getting lost now.”

“My point exactly…”

Erik had the audacity to look rather sheepish as he tried to escape from that disapproving stare, quick to change from CD to the actual radio where he was relieved to hear something relatively normal—a cheesy pop song. At least his friend was well-cultured; a furtive glance to his right and he could make out the light tap of lithe fingers against the door, eyes closed in thought, while he hummed pleasantly in tone with the beat. Sometimes, well most of the time, he felt bad that their interest differed so greatly at times, like a huge, gaping chasm opened up between them. As they started high school, it was here when their differences became more obvious till it reached its apex during their junior year.

To put it bluntly: Erik was a talented jock who loved sports and Leiss was an arts enthusiast, and that did include the liberal arts as well. They grew to have different friends, fell into different crowds, but still managed to retain their friendship much to his team’s chagrin. His team didn’t understand why he associated with what they called a “theater geek” (when they felt like being nice), having but a simple, effective answer that went along the lines of “I want to”. No if’s and’s or but’s. Any derogatory comments would die prematurely as he would fix them with a such a glare that he was sure could freeze hell a thousand times over, quietly daring them to say anything terrible about his friend in his presence. And it wasn’t like Leiss’s friends felt too fondly about him either; the brunette chick (Amanda was it?) thought he was a failed cross between a gorilla and a dodo. She often questioned his intelligence but Leiss had her trained to not bring such speculations into civilized conversation.

So for nearly three years of their high school career, they have been walking this fine line of balance. And he would like to think they’ve been doing a pretty good job at it.

It wasn’t like the football player to be so insightful (he was completely capable of deep thought thank you) so he was more than happy when he was able to pull into the parking lot of their destination, seeking reprieve from tiring thoughts. It was a nice, cozy restaurant with an Italian flare about it, the atmosphere lit by hanging lights and made intimate by the sight of some couples dancing slowly to the wistful tunes of the band onstage. Leiss loved this place and Erik, doing his due diligence, thought it fitting to take him here for a performance well done.

He wasn’t completely without tact as many thought him to believe.

Quickly, he was already walking around to Leiss’s side before the blonde could make a move to get out, quirking an amused brow when the jock opened the door for him in a showy fashion. “How chivalrous of you.”

“I can be taught,” Erik chuckled lightly.

Leiss appeared more than a little pleased. “Apparently so. Maybe there’s still hope for you yet.”

“I’ll try not to disappoint.” Narrowed green orbs rolled drily before he lead them inside the cozy establishment where a waiter was quick to show them to their seats, leaving them for a moment to give them ample to time get situated. After a few quiet moments of shifting through the menu, the taller of two put his menu down in a quiet show of frustration with an equally cute whine to go with it. “Why don’t they have any more meat dishes? Everything on here is...pasta!”

“Gee, I wonder why,” commented the blond with a trace of sarcasm oozing into his voice, not even looking up from his menu.

“But it’s true!”

“As much as I want to show to you that everything on here isn’t pasta, I feel that would prove to be an exhausting endeavor. Which kind of defeats the purpose of ‘A-relaxing-dinner-with-your-best-friend’ idea.” He sighed and closed his menu, already having reached a decision. “Why don’t you get what you always get?”

Erik looked so hopeful that Leiss couldn’t help but give a small smile in return. “What?”

“Steak of course.”

And as soon as he said that, a waiter (different from the one that showed them to their seats) had approached, a polite look about him. “Good evening, gentlemen. My name is Sergio and I’ll be your waiter tonight. How would you like me to start you off?” He had a distinct accent—Italian if Leiss had to hazard a guess with all the obvious evidence. Leiss offered him an equally polite smile.

“Your Carbona and a glass of water would be lovely. Thank you.”

Sergio jotted down the order expectantly, returning the other’s smile with an almost shy one of his own. If Leiss didn’t know any better, he couldn’t have been much older than them. “How about you sir?” Surprisingly, Erik’s brow was knitted together in a rare display of consternation and he was scowling out of all things, which seemed to deepen when he was addressed. He uttered his desire gruffly:

“Steak. Make it extremely rare. Oh, and I suppose lemonade is fine I guess.”

“My pleasure sir. I’ll have your drinks out momentarily.”

When all that was said and done, and it was just the two of them again, Leiss, curious more than anything at his behavior, asked conversationally, “What was that all about?”

“I like my steak rare. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Erik responded, almost defensively.

The blond didn’t bother hiding the quizzical expression on his face or in his voice. “I was referring to the “I-don’t-like-you-vibes” you were giving our dear waiter friend.”

Now it was the other teenager’s turn to look confused. “Huh? The guy was fine.”

Okay, maybe there was just no way feigning such sincere confusion so Leiss, with a shake of his head, decided to change the direction of the conversation, removing his gray sweater jacket in the process. “My father isn’t going to be home for a couple of days due to a church function out of town.”

Confusion paved the way for a playful smirk as Erik leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head. “Party at your house?”

“Sure, if you want to be attending my funeral several days later.”

“Aw c’mon. How would he even know? We could just clean up and he wouldn’t even have a clue.”

The corner of the high school actor’s mouth twitched. “If you even left a fingerprint in the house, he would know.”

“That’s fine. It’s an all glove affair anyway.”

“You’re an idiot.”

Erik feigned a hurt, simpering look that crumbled away when he saw his friend hiding a laugh behind his hand, something warm and intimate flickering in those sea-green depths so fast that Leiss could only assume he imagined it. This was why, despite their differences, they could still mesh so well together. Erik may have not been a De Vinci-level intellectual (and not to say he wasn’t smart), yet it was still so stimulating to be around him. From his lightheartedness to his devil-may-care attitude, there wasn’t anything about him that didn’t stir the slumbering heat within his soul. Even the fond memory of a quiet kid sitting on the end of a slide, drawing childish doodles only to be distracted by a dirt-specked child holding a giant globule of mud to his face with a wiggling worm in the center, was perhaps the most cherished memory he had.

_“Wanna play with me? I need help making mud pies!”_

Contented hazel's closed warmly upon visiting that memory—no matter how brief—as he casually listened to his best friend talk about (more like brag) how his last game went. If there was anything that Erik was passionate about, it would have to be sports. There was nothing in the world (excluding video games) that he didn’t love to do as much as that. And he was more than just talented in that field. To summarize it properly, even if it wasn’t an adequate description, Erik was a proverbial beast on the field—and he could attest to that because he has watched him on more than one occasion. He wasn’t their high school's star quarterback for nothing; no one got in his way when he set his eyes on the goal and the ball was in his grasp. And he meant that quite literally.

Shame he wasn’t that gung-ho about his studies (he was quite capable). But he seemed to have some type of epileptic seizure when he even caught a whiff of school work.

“You’re going to be there at my game, right?”

“Without a doubt,” was the immediate reply, not missing a beat as he wandered out of his thoughts, more so because Sergio had returned with their meals. At some point, he must have delivered their drinks as well because a pristine glass of water was sitting there temptingly, enticing his thirst. “Thank you.”

The reply was kind and saturated with that accent of his. “ _Siete molto benvenuti._ If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

With that and a small bow of parting, he was gone, leaving Erik once again with that scowl before it vanished upon hungrily eyeing his incredibly rare steak. It was so rare that it looked positively raw if the pink wetness seeping from it was anything to go by. His friend always liked his meat kind of rare but this was…well this was a bit much, maybe?

“Do you want them to cook that a little more?” Leiss offered, letting some of his concern bleed into his voice.

The puzzlement in that furrowed gaze made it feel like what he said wasn’t necessary at all. “Why?”

“Er…,” a rare display of Leiss trying to find the polite way to relay his thoughts occurred as he absentmindedly twirled his pasta around his fork, “I think it’s still bleeding—more than it should be I believe.”

“That means it's fresh! Besides, eating it this way is why my body is as sexy as it is. All that raw protein has to come from somewhere.” A wet sound squelched the moment his fork sunk into the glistening redness, his knife in heavy pursuit.

The blond couldn’t contain his grimace.

Noticing the poorly veiled disgust he was receiving, Erik paused in his pursuit of meaty goodness and met that heavy gaze with a light one of his own, grinning for his friend’s sake. “Look, I’m sorry this offends your vegetarian sensibilities. But I promise it's to my liking.”

“Pescetarian,” Leiss corrected cooly.

“Something not meat. But yeah, stop worrying and eat your food. Aren’t we supposed to be enjoying dinner?”

That seemed to be the end of that for both of them fell into a easy silence as they ate. Still, skeptical hazel’s drifted every now and then to his friend’s plate where that extraordinarily rare piece of meat began to diminish at a astounding rate. As neatly as Erik was devouring his food—cutting it into smaller, chewable cubes—it still made his stomach churn nauseatingly. He didn’t have anything against the consumption of pork, meat, poultry or what have you, but he personally couldn’t do it anymore without remembering that traumatizing video of what actually goes on behind the scenes at your favorite eateries. It didn’t help he had been at the very impressionable age of ten either. The internet was a rather terrible thing in the hands of the curious...but that was beside the point. At some point he tried to convert Erik—and it worked for some days or so before he randomly fainted in their fourth grade class.

Erik and no meat wasn’t a realistic concept so they never did that again.

But how he could consume it like that, so lightly cooked, exposed to any type of bacteria or such was beyond him. But it made him happy…

The sound of cutlery colliding with a plate drew his unfocused gaze, blinking at the dish that was devoid of anything save for a lonely bone. The way Erik stared at it was with a cute mixture of disappointment and annoyance.

“Wasn’t to your liking after all?” Leiss probed expectantly, almost smug as his brain was already swimming in the sweet feeling of being right.

“Oh no, it was delicious. I just wish I had a couple more or so.”

“A couple more?”

A black brow rose, bemused, at his friend’s reaction. “Well, I am hungry—enough to eat, at the minimum, 20 of those steaks. Wouldn’t hurt if they were bigger too now that I think about it...” Noticing that Leiss still had a little less than half of his food on his plate, the jock couldn't stop himself from eyeing it with a guilty desire. “Not going to finish your food?”

“As much as I wish I had 12 stomachs like you, I don’t. Why? Do you want it?”

“Don’t care much for pasta.” Despite saying this, his eyes were telling a different story as well as his stomach if that awkward growl was anything to go by. A bashful half-grin made its way across his facial features accompanied by nervous laughter, scratching the nape of his neck absently. “Sorry, my stomach doesn’t know what it's talking about.”

“Hmm...right.”

Leiss waved their waiter over who had been glancing at them expectantly throughout their dinner, a smile spreading across his face as he approached. “Everything was satisfactory, no?” As he asked this, he already deposited the check onto the table, cash accompanying it moments later after Erik pulled out his wallet.

“Yes, everything was wonderful.”

“ _Molto buono!_ Ah, I meant to compliment you on your necklace—the masks of comedy and tragedy, _si_? I wasn’t sure if it would be appropriate of me to assume you enjoy the theatrical arts?”

And it was like someone dropped a fortune in front of Leiss the way all his features lit up, turning more so he could properly give Sergio his attention, unaware of how Erik’s face darkened. “Well yes I do. Actually…”

And it was like Erik wasn’t even there anymore with the way they launched into conversation, both of them talking about things that the jock knew only a fraction about (courtesy of his best friend), leaving the football player sitting there like a third wheel, previous mood all but vanished. It felt like a bestial fury was rising deep from within his core as he continued to observe them, unaware of how his grip on the fork he had been toying with was subjected to such force that the metal began to bend in submission.  A deep reverberating growl began to resonate in his throat, gradually beginning to grow in volume and pitch as his lips pulled back in a silent snarl. He couldn’t hear it underneath the thunderous fury of his thoughts, underneath the litany of _mineminemine_ that continued to grew even louder _._ It was so unlike him that the part that had retreated at the presence of this all-consuming presence, the rational part, urged him to calm down. _No_! He couldn’t. This...this fury! It burned him, swallowed him _whole_.

Sea-foam green eyes seemed to take on a dim, luminescent hue, body trembling and coiled to attack.

“...I would love to see one of your shows sometime. Please, allow me your number—”

Erik snarled viciously in a possessive rage, unable to endure the desires of the beast ramming at its mental cage as he leapt up, grasped Leiss’s wrist within his steely hold, and rushed out of the building. It felt like a red veil was clouding his vision as he stormed towards where they parked, literally deaf to his friend’s alarmed protests. Leiss was his. His territory. HIs friend. His ma—

_What the fuck…?_

Whatever had been possessing him control shattered as he came to a stop inches from their ride, trying to recompose himself, holding his free hand to his head in visible display of pain. What the hell was that?

“Erik! What in the ever-loving world is wrong with you? Let me go or so help me I will—”

The frazzled jock released his hold on his friend who staggered back from him, flinching back from that infuriated, intense gaze, fist clenching and unclenching at his side like he didn’t know whether to strike him or not. Just now realizing the severity of his actions, face already that of apologetic horror, Erik took a tentative step towards his friend. “Leiss, I didn’t mean to—”

“Erik please. Save your breath. You already didn’t like him from the beginning. And you know what? That was fine—your reasons, no matter how questionable, are your own. But that overreaction was way out of line, even for you. I don’t even—,” Leiss inhaled sharply, like he wanted to go on but the energy seemed to desert him. He gave Erik the hardest look he gave him in a long while, massaging his temple. “Can we just go home?”

“I’m sorry, really I am. I don’t know—”

“Without talking, please?” Interrupted the disappointed blond as he let himself into the car while Erik did the same, pointedly looking out the window much to the pain of the other. The car surged to life and Erik immediately killed the radio, a childish fear of the overused cliche of a song befitting the mood playing to worsen the atmosphere causing him to react this way.

Aggravating the situation wasn’t in his best interest; nor was trying to understand where that rage even came from. He just didn’t want it happening ever again, especially if it caused his best friend to look at him the way that he did. Anger, confusion, disappointment. All of it had been there—and it was still there, fresh if he looked. Which he did, quickly taking his eyes off the road to glance at the slighter figure of the male who refused to look at him, tension threading throughout his body like a line that been pulled to tightly, as if he would snap at the barest brush of pressure. Compared to the laxness and the playfulness that he exuded before, this was a nightmare.

 How do you fix this?

While he pondered this with a heavy heart and a guilty conscience, they traveled in silence along the nearly empty streets of Woodcrest Georgia, the shroud of trees on the side casting foreboding shadows that balked away at the minutest trace of light. After 20 minutes of awkward silence, Erik was turning into a quiet subdivision decorated with an array of houses, only stopping when they reached the end where you were forced to backtrack if you wanted to exit.

157 Ellenwood Way loomed brightly over the car, various windows beaming with light in a show of people still being active despite it being 9:25 in the evening. It was one of those times were Erik didn’t actually want to go home, but he forced himself to exit the vehicle, simultaneously of Leiss doing the same. But he was faster, quickly moving to the blond’s side the moment he was closing the door, gingerly placing his hand over his friend’s to halt any further movements.

Did he imagine that faint shiver underneath pale skin?

“Leiss…”

Narrow shoulders stiffened but there was no curt words to stop him this time. But those eyes seemed riveted on their touching hands.

“I’m sincerely sorry for my behavior today. I...shouldn’t have reacted like that, especially knowing that you found someone that shared your same interest. Um…,” pride hissed stubbornly at him, fighting against the words that truly needed to be said. “I suppose...I...I was jealous.” He finished in a painful whisper, believing that to be the best way he could describe what he had been feeling at the time.

At that forced admission, light hazel's finally drifted up to his face, studying him for any traces of lack of sincerity. All he found was a soft plead for forgiveness and the desire to leave this ugliness behind. Leiss’s anger diffused a bit more, easing the weight on his heart. “You acted like a jackass.”

Erik winced. “Yeah, I did. Not one of my cooler moments I would say.”

“Mhmm…”

“But let me make it up to you!” The way he said this was as if he spoke without actually thinking, evident even further by how Leiss could see the gears turning heavily in his mind. “Your dad is going away right? Well we don’t have to throw a party...but I could come over. Well, to be fair, I’m a party all in itself really.”

“Erik, focus.” He hid his amusement well, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. A small part of him delighted in the fact that their hands were still touching.

“Uh yeah...so can I come over? I need help with my homework too… Oh! And I just bought the new Last Fantasy game so I could bring it over as well. And maybe we could watch a movie—anyone that you want!”

And he couldn’t contain the small bubble of laughter that rose from his body, hiding his weary smile behind his hand as Erik looked close to sweating from running out of ideas. “Okay, okay fine. Relax and take a deep breath. I’ll see you tomorrow then. Just text me before you come over.”

The comparison to a puppy wagging its tail popped into his mind at how ecstatic Erik looked, clasping his shoulders as he grinned wolfishly. “Sure thing! Text me when you get home too!”

“I live like a couple houses down…”

“So?”

The pout he received in response was too much, just shaking his head as he got back into his car—in the driver's seat this time. “Talk to you later, Erik. Don’t get lost on your way home.”

“Oh haha—very funny!”

And with that, their time together ended on a more upbeat note as opposed to the sour one, which Leiss was eternally grateful for as he only a minute later, he pulled into the driveway of his house. He had feared going home feeling angry at his best friend when the day had started off so pleasantly.  His mind still reeled at Erik’s uncharacteristic display of rage, like a monster had taken control of his friend. At first, his mind ignored the animalistic growls coming from the other, thinking that he had been hearing things because he couldn’t imagine a human sounding so...well, like a beast. And before he could say anything, it was too late and everything had been a whirlwind of movement. He could remember the heat rolling off Erik’s hand as it seared into his flesh, and the tightness of his grasp as he dragged him away.

An angry redness from his wrist that looked suspiciously like a handprint danced darkly out of the side of his peripheral, making a move to shove his hand into his sweater when he realized with a curse that he left it in the restaurant. Ah well, he would have to go back for it then at a later date.

Mulling over further thoughts about what transpired at dinner, he was hardly paying attention when he stepped into his home, unprepared for the cool, pensive voice that greeted him:

“I see your play ran a little late. Must have been a long applause you received.”

Any prospect of salvaging this afternoon seemed to vanish like smoke between his fingers at that seemingly nonchalant voice, adjusting his messenger bag unconsciously, tension awakening once more. “I went out to dinner with a friend. It wasn’t supposed to take so long but we ran into some complications.”

A man with blond hair so light that it was turning white looked up as he was closing a suitcase, Leiss immediately going to help him further but was halted by a indifferent look. “It's too late for that boy. I don’t have need of your assistance an hour after I needed you. I already know where your priorities lie.”

“It wasn’t like you didn’t know I wasn’t going to be a little late—I texted you beforehand.” He was trying to keep the frustration from bleeding into his voice, trying to not let his patience wittle into nothing, but his father always had a way of getting underneath his skin. Maybe it was those silently, disapproving grey eyes, or that tight-lipped expression, but he hated any confrontations with his father. “But I’m here now and able to help you pack, sir.”

“You know I don’t like repeating myself. Now if you’ll excuse me…”

That was a dismissal if Leiss heard one—a kind one considering how critical his father could be when particularly annoyed. But he was glad for the reprieve, nodding curtly as he briskly walked up the stairs to his room, leaning against his door once he was inside. A glance downwards and he could see his hand trembling, an effect of anxiety and over-charged nerves. That man was perhaps the only one who could get under his skin. He had been prepared for vaguely disguised insults and harsh criticism, for the disappointment that his father ever regarded him with for as long as he could remember. And it was out of love and his Christian upbringing that stopped him from retaliating in a disrespectful way.

Because father was leaving tonight, he was merciful. Because father was leaving, Leiss didn’t have to feel like he was going to hell for just being who he was.

Without really thinking, he sent a text to his friend.

 **Leiss Callaghan  21:40  
** _Hey, I’m home._

Leiss quickly, yet neatly divested himself of today’s clothes before falling backwards onto his back, covering his face with a pillow. Maybe if he pressed a little harder he would stop breathing.

 **Erik Adolphus 21: 42  
** _Welcome home honey! how was your day?_

 **Leiss Callaghan 21: 42  
** _It was wonderful. Discovered that my wife is cheating on me with a zebra._

 **Erik Adolphus 21: 43  
** _i’m not into that animal shit btw. I’ll make sure to tell your wife to stop being a naughty girl tho. ...wait, how come your wife has a dick? I just looked in my pants and I see something damn noice._

 **Leiss Callaghan 21: 44  
** _You're a dumbass._

 **Erik Adolphus 21: 44  
** _your dumbass tho! :)_

And for some reason, the back of his eyes stung and it was suddenly so very difficult to swallow. If only Erik knew what he was saying. If only those silly words were meant another way.

 **Erik Adolphus 21: 46  
** _how’s it going? you feeling okay?_

 **Leiss Callaghan 21: 47  
** _Yeah, why?_

 **Erik Adolphus 21: 47  
**_dunno. just a feeling i guess. or maybe i can read minds?_

**Leiss Callaghan 21: 47  
** _Clairvoyance? You? Over the phone too? Wow I’m impressed. You got any more secrets I should know about?_

It was sometime before his phone vibrated again, his eyes had already started to lower inch by inch.

 **Erik Adolphus 22: 00  
** _i’m a werewolf._

 **Leiss Callaghan 22: 01  
** _So if I tell you to sit, will you sit?_

 **Erik Adolphus 22: 02  
** _i can do more than that._

 **Leiss Callaghan 22: 02  
** _Okay. I’ll keep that in mind for tomorrow. Passing out._

 **Erik Adolphus 22: 03  
** _kay. Night buddy_

Before Leiss could press the send button on his phone, he was already in a dreamless slumber.

 

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

 

“An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. What law is that Erik?”

“Uhh...Melissia?”

“That’s Newton’s first law of motion or also known as the Law of Inertia. Where did you get Melissia from?”

“I don’t know! We’ve been at this for hours. Can we do something fun? I swear I think I mentioned Last Fantasy yesterday…”

“...”

“I can’t...hold...on...much longer. Light...fading”

“Well, I’ll give you an A for your over dramatic acting. Fine, we can take a break.”

Erik literally leaped away from the kitchen table like his seat had been set on fire, already clearing the table of any school paraphernalia, leaving Leiss to snort softly at his antics. There was only so much school work the jock’s brain could take—he already had suffered through two mini seizures (not really) and semi-daydreamed in the middle of composition practice, only to have a textbook rapped against his skull as punishment. Thankfully, no permanent damage had been done but there was a suspicious lump somewhere near the center… Regardless, he was just happy to be getting away from that stuff. When Leiss committed to helping him with his studies (apparently his mediocre grades offended him somehow), he really buckled down and made sure his friend at least understood the concepts partially. His golden haired friend liked to say that it wasn’t for a lack of potential that made Erik so poor in his studies, but a lack of attention.

If something wasn’t sports, a video game, and maybe a naked chick (he dare not even hint at that), then his attention span was comparable to a dog that had just been treated to a T-bone steak.

Leiss got up, muttering about fixing them some lunch, missing the wince his friend gave him at the thought of some vegetarian dish that lacked meat. But he was hungry...and it wasn’t right to complain when he wasn’t doing the cooking. This left him able to rummage through his bag for the game before sticking it into the console, controller already in hand.

“How do you want your sandwich? The usual?”

Erik perked up and twisted around to look in the general direction of the kitchen, unable to see of course because it was partially blocked by a wall. “If by usual you mean a crap-ton of meat then yup.”

He could’ve swore he heard a disgusted noise but he was willing to say he imagined it, despite knowing his hearing was quite _keen_. “Got it. One carnivorous sandwich coming up.”

As soon as he said that, the game seemed to have gotten past its introductory premise and the jock began to get immersed, lying in a way on the couch that would have caused Leiss to have a miniature heart attack had he been paying attention. Good thing he wasn’t. But what was this about time traveling and fixing paradoxes…? That wasn’t in the game description nor the trailer. Wait a moment—

“Ouch.”

Even though it had been the softest utterance, the black-haired teen heard it as if the word had been yelled into his ear, straightening up as a particular smell wafted into his nostrils.

Was that blood?

Unable to help himself, Erik, as if spellbound, found himself in the kitchen within seconds, staring at the annoyed blond studying his cut finger as if it was an anomaly. A small trail of crimson traveled down his forefinger from the tip, glistening ever so enticingly. It smelled so...so _appealing._ Like a heady mixture of something tart and savory, damning him to a dry throat as he tried swallowing unsuccessfully. Sea-green hue’s refused to look elsewhere, captivated by the shine of wine-red, pupils dilating just a fraction. Out of his peripheral, he could see soft lips utter some semblance of his name but it sounded like it had been spoken underwater. But the smell... _oh God_ the smell. He simply couldn’t resist it—the beast inside, pacing the crumbling walls of its cage couldn’t resist it.

So in one stride, he covered the distance between them and gingerly wound his hand around Leiss’s clothed wrist who made a noise of surprise.

“What are you—”

He couldn’t take it.

So he did whatever that nagging force compelled him to do and gently wrapped his lips around a slender finger. Sweet ambrosia seduced his taste-buds and Erik _moaned_ huskily, eyes fluttering close just for the barest of seconds as he was overwhelmed. The taste of the savory liquid was indescribable; the feel of soft skin on his tongue incomparable; and the way his body responded felt like wildfire had caught within his veins. His grip tightened just a fraction more as his tongue lapped delicately at the torn skin, feeling and soothing the frayed edges. Something within him purred in satisfaction, prompting him to reach out blindly for the blond’s waist to pull him just a bit closer. So good, so perfect, _can’t stop_ —

“Erik…?” Leiss breathed quietly, voice tight with something that couldn’t be placed.

Just like that the spell was broken and Erik was stepping back, eyes widened in mortification at having lost control of himself for the second time. Because of his own self-horror, he misread the complex expression on his friend’s face and he was immediately heading towards the door. But a firm grip captured his shoulder and he paused—if only for a moment.

“Wait! Don’t leave; its okay.” The words were rushed but came out soothing, as if sensing the turmoil raging inside the jock. Hazel orbs sought his own, gentle and coaxing in their confusion. “What happened there? Why did you do that?”

The teenager grimaced, extremely uncomfortable for more than one reason.

“Hey, it’s alright. So what if you had a...uncharacteristic moment. It happens to everyone from time to time. So please, talk to me.” Again, his words were soothing while his voice was equally calming as he began to ease Erik away from the door and back towards the living room so they could sit. He didn’t have the heart to bring attention to how awkwardly his friend sat, just chalking it up to nerves.

“I don’t know what that was. I just saw that you were hurt and just reacted.” Only partially true, but Leiss didn’t need to know that.

His reasoning seemed to work, if only a little. “So, you thought the best course of action was to er...lick my finger?”

It didn’t sound bad in his brain, but Leiss made it sound questionable. “Uh...yeah?”

“Mmm...I see.”

An awkward silence drifted between them again for a couple of minutes before the blond excused himself to finish getting there sandwiches together. A breath that Erik didn’t even know he was holding slipped away from him as he visibly sagged, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to relax. He was...well...his body had saw fit to react to the whole incident by giving him a raging hard-on. Perhaps the worst he has ever had. Thank whatever luck that he had the foresight to wear jeans instead of the original sweatpants he wanted to wear. Leiss would have been able to see his problem a mile away. Speaking of the blond, he could hear the cutting on the chopping board as he hummed pleasantly to himself, as if nothing out of the ordinary hadn't transpired.

So Erik made a mad dash to the bathroom and tried not to slam the door shut.

How the hell was he supposed to handle this? Getting a boner for your best friend—your very _male_ best friend by the way—was a huge no-no. Erik wasn’t gay (no offense to Leiss), he knew that. He liked breasts and curves; he liked girls. Then why did this happen? Why did his body react this way? It frightened him more than anything.

It was with a clumsy apprehension that he unzipped his pants, turning a rare shade of crimson at the angry, pink head of his cock poking out from his boxers, precum glistening at the tip. This wasn’t right—he wasn’t _gay_. He loved his best friend, but not in that way.

 Sucking in a breath, Erik wrapped a hand around himself, having to bite his lip to hold back a weak groan as he adjusted it in a way so that it was pressed against his stomach and the waistline of his underwear. He couldn’t risk it being noticed, zipping himself up and washing his hands before he exited the bathroom, trying to regain his composure. A pair of hazel’s scrutinized him as he made his way back, forcing himself to relax by mentally saying Leiss didn’t know over and over in a desperate chant.

“Ehh, had to take a mega shit.”

“Too much information.” Just like that, the scrutiny disappeared in place of amusement, smiling ever so slightly as Erik took a seat next to Leiss on the couch. On the end table on his side, was a platter of small sandwiches. Noticing Erik’s skeptical gaze, Leiss added, “You can eat, you know. Most of them have meat on them.”

“I think I see lettuce….” Erik said lightly.

“Yes, and whatever else goes on a sandwich. Next time you can make your own.”

“Don’t have to be so touchy; I was just joking.”

Leiss rolled his eyes. “Sure.”

Knowing it was best to close that conversation before he said anything else that could be annoying, Erik helped himself to a sandwich, finally noticing that Leiss had changed the game to a movie. “So...no more games?”

“After food, of course. But while we eat, we are going to watch the movie version of the play you was late to. Consider it your punishment for being late.”

The jock _groaned_.

And as easily as that, Erik had to sit through a grueling, several hours of a rather depressing film that he was sure would at least kill his problem. And for some reason, it did not. If anything, he had to endure this _condition_ through the entirety of it, wanting to die on the couple of occasions where Leiss had to reach over him to get a sandwich. Each movement was like hell and heaven on Earth for the suffering teenager, having to be subjected to the blond’s scent of vanilla and almonds that seemed to get intoxicating with every moment. Why didn’t he ever notice just how absolutely _appetizing_ the blond smelt? As much time he spent around him, you would have thought he would be used to it already, but it was like all his conditioning had flown through the window. Everything about his friend—his sounds, smell, hell even his taste were something all his senses seemed to be honing in on. It was confusing, painful, and more than a little frightening.

Even more so was how that primal part of him was simply luxuriating in it, taking pleasure in it.

He didn’t know what was wrong with him. And the only person that would be able to help him was at home.

So it was sheer luck that when he happened to glance at his side, Leiss was dozing quietly in a sitting up position while the credits had been rolling. Feeling guilty, like he knew what he was about to do wasn’t the best way you could go about things, Erik grabbed a hand-woven quilt that had been draped on the couch arm and wrapped it delicately around his friend. Once he was certain the blond wouldn’t wake, Erik grabbed his things and walked out, phone in hand:

 **Erik Adolphus 20:30**  
_sorry i had to go. mom needed my help. had fun today even tho I did a weird thing. talk to you later_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed it if anyone read it! And if you did, I will definitely add more! And Erik and Leiss were the ones in the pic if you didn't already guess :3 It was commissioned by the wonderful Gegophat!


	2. Chapter 2

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

_“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” **— H.P. Lovecraft**_

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

 

**Leiss Callaghan 11:15**  
_Going to miss first and second period, huh? If you’re skipping class again, I’m not giving you my notes. Fair warning._

That was a whole hour ago; he had sent that text somewhere in that chaotic student limbo of transitioning between classes, the feelings that had been present upon sending the message still swimming in his heart as he put his phone away for the fourth time in that class period. To say Leiss was angry would have been the understatement of the century.

No, Leiss was _livid_.

It wasn’t the best feeling in the world waking up by yourself, neck and multiple joints protesting from finally shifting from an uncomfortable position, while being greeted by the jarring openness of the front door that was an invitation for something unfortunate if he ever saw one. Confusion was the first to be born upon waking up to that strange situation before the annoyance and displeasure followed suit, belatedly calling out his idiot’s friend’s name, initially believing the other teen to have disappeared into the house at some point. And after five minutes of calling for him, throat taking on that familiar feeling of discomfort at yelling at a volume he wasn’t accustomed to for longer than usual, the blond found himself laying on his bed, arm covering his eyes, teeth clenched from an innumerable amount of negative feelings.

His phone lay face down on the comforter, wrapped in gently trembling fingers.

A text, huh? That was the best Erik could do? Disappointment wasn’t adequate enough to describe what he had felt upon reading the carelessly sent message. _Sorry had to go? I’ll talk to you later._ Really? It wasn’t the fact that he had to go—even so suddenly!—that drew Leiss’s ire, but that he didn’t have the courtesy to wake him up and bid a proper farewell? The lack of care stung, as if he had been an afterthought. He could’ve at least closed the door properly before flying out of it as if the flames of hell themselves had taken residence in his home. He could’ve at least made it look like he hadn’t been trying to run away.

Leiss wasn’t an idiot; he knew Erik had been acting different after that whole finger incident. And because he loved his friend and could quite clearly remember that bone-deep horror that blossomed across his best friend’s face, he didn’t pursue it as thoroughly as his heart wanted him to, valuing the sanctity and peace of their friendship more than anything. It bothered him to no end; at the mercy of his analytical brain trying to come to some logical conclusions while the more hopeful, irrational side that was enamored with his friend fantasized about possibilities that he never humored out of the confines of his room. But the slick wetness of Erik’s tongue gliding across his skin had seared itself in his nerves and in his brain, forcing him to endure sinful thoughts of taking it further as explicit images on a pornographic level tormented his conscious.He could have— _God he really could have_ but the guilt afterward for seducing his friend wouldn’t be worth it.

Point was, he was more than just a little unhappy that his friend ran from him (over something that he did mind you) and he hadn’t been afraid to make that known in a couple of wordy texts throughout the next couple of days. Yet despite the emotions he poured into each and every word, not one of them had received a reply throughout the weekend, as if he was being ignored entirely.

Leiss had to restrain himself from going over to Erik’s house and really show how much of a drama student (queen) he could be.

So it was with a tiring amount of patience that he waited till Monday—for this moment where he would see Erik in person, feeling more than a little hurt when the seat two rows down was oddly vacant and continued to be that way for the rest of the class period.

Would your best friend really avoid you over something so small?

 

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

**Leiss Callaghan 13:42  
** _Hey, just to let you know, this is the last day my father won’t be home. Best opportunity to talk about…whatever is going on between us, don’t you think? I’ll even make some of those fish tacos you like._

It was 9:30 at night on a Tuesday and he was trying his best to not throw away the extra food because—

_And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”_

—he still abided to his family’s faith and to make waste of good food was unwholesome, even as he could barely stand to look at it when he finally put it away.

 

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

 

**Leiss Callaghan 20:11  
** _Erik, what’s wrong? Are you okay? You’re not answering your phone and your mom isn’t either. Yes, I’ve tried calling your mom but it’s the same thing. Just let me know if you’re okay…_

He had to stop himself from attaching the _please_ at the end, hating that it would make him sound like some desperate girlfriend even though he was on the cusp of having an anxiety attack. Literally. Fingers fumbled with the white cap to a small bottle of Buspirone to seek a white tablet and his heart was forcible calm shortly after.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

 

“So, I think that’s a good idea.”

“What is?”

“Seriously, Cole? The one you just said like three seconds ago.”

“I don’t remember.”

“ _Dios mio_ —you literally just said it!”

“Sorry, you know I’m in a whole other world when I’m eating. Maybe if you ask me again after I finish my sub…”

“Ugh…Leiss do something.”

It was a relatively nice Wednesday afternoon and a couple of his friends were eating lunch outside at their usual spot at a table under a tree, which was a great vantage point if you wanted a good view of the school grounds. Namely the track and football field if you were Leiss and you had a best friend who was often found at practice with his team, submitting to whatever tortuous whims the couch deemed appropriate. Sadly, like all the previous days of this week, the team was bereft of their black haired quarterback as much as the blond was missing his best friend. Admittedly, he was starting to believe he was becoming a masochist from how often his heart would be pulled asunder every time sharp hazels felt the pull of looking in the general direction of the practicing sports teams, as if under the thrall of some gravitational force.

Amy (when Amanda felt like being called that) said he was pinning like some lovelorn fool. Leiss said something mildly threatening in response, but after a couple of days, he wasn’t too prideful to admit that she was right.

It was obvious and sad and embarrassing—

_But it wouldn’t stop._

“Nope, he’s too busy thinking about his peanut-for-brains boyfriend.”

That was enough to snap him out of his reservy, critical amber’s snapping over to a boy around his age who had a nearly-finished sub in one hand while the evidence of its disappearing act clung rather childishly from his chin. Chocolate brown hair peeked out from beneath a black beanie that had a red and white ball on the rim. Dark-green eyes peered from behind plastic framed glasses that complimented pale, freckled skin. The somewhat, recovering, anime-addict here was Cole, a good friend of his who wasn’t afraid to share whatever was on his mind, censored or not. It was entertaining more than it was tactless at times. But this was one of those times were Leiss would’ve appreciated some type of filter.

It was a sentiment that was shared on the red-haired girl’s face who was sitting across from him.

“Cole—”

“It’s okay Amanda. It’s unfortunate but I sometimes also wonder about the size of Erik’s brain,” Leiss interjected gently, unperturbed as he gave his friend a cool look who suddenly appeared very intrigued by his food, despite the tension in his shoulders. Leiss allowed a knowing smirk to curve his lips, prey detected. “I also wonder about the size of his d—”

“Noooo…I’m eating man,” moaned the bespectacled teen in abject horror, dramatically making motions of encroaching sickness.

“—dog. He just got one. What did you think I was going to say?” The blond made a show of appearing innocently mortified, causing the brunette sitting next to Cole to giggle uncontrollably.

Cole grimaced, looking at the remains of his sandwich with something akin to betrayed disgust. “Dunno. Something about his dick—”

“Can we stop talking about Adolphus’s junk please? I don’t even know how we got on this topic.” Amanda interrupted in a exasperated fashion, messaging her temple. More giggles came from the girl next to Cole till she was nearly snorting from laughter on the ground. “Serenity, _please_. It’s not even funny.”

The brunette (Serenity) allowed herself one more quiet laugh, smothered behind her hand before dabbing at her eyes, fixing a couple of strands that escaped her hair band. “It’s hilarious! Like I was imagining Erik’s penis but you know...peanut-sized! Made it way funnier.”

Again Cole looked ready to be sick. “Not going to say anything about that Leiss? She just basically said she thinks about your boyfriend’s dick.”

“ _Oh dios mio_ —Cole! Stop putting words in my mouth! You know I didn’t mean that!”

“He’s not my boyfriend—so stop shipping us together in your head please. I don’t know where you got this weird fetish from...”

“Now you guys are ganging up on me! Weren’t we talking about taking the club to see a Broadway show this weekend?” Cole snapped with a scowl, throwing his hands up in surrender as he leaped back from the hands that tried to wrap around his neck, fearful of the caramel-skinned girl trying to strangle him. “C-Calm down! What’s wrong with you?”

“You said you forgot you dumbass!” Serenity seethed, giving Amanda a withering look as she was released once her violent surge of energy had been tempered. “Ugh, I hate you sometimes. Anyway…we were wondering if that sounded like a good idea to you Leiss? It might help break the ice for some of the newbie’s that just joined.”

Golden brows furrowed ever so slightly, wondering for only a moment why they needed his opinion on this only to remember rather dumbly that he was the head of the drama club. He was more stressed than he thought. “I don’t have a problem with that. What show do you guys have in mind?”

“Something Rotten.”

“The Lion King.”

Leiss had to hold back a breath of laughter as Cole and Serenity glared at each other with all the intensity of two starving animals fighting over scraps. He valued his sanity enough to not get involved as he silently acknowledged Amanda switching sides wisely to avoid getting pulled into the beginning of World War 3. Sky-blue orbs probed into his jaded ones with all the acuity of a hawk but with the gentleness of unwavering support to curb the sharpness of the gaze. It was in the blond’s nature to hide and shield all his emotions behind a mask, not eager to hand out his weaknesses on a silver plate for the world to see. For they say the eyes are the windows to your soul...well Shakespeare did. And so far, none of Shakespeare's famous idioms have led him astray. But back to the subject at hand; Amanda normally could see right through him if he wasn’t fast enough. It didn’t help that she was in the drama club either.

“Hey—”

“I’m okay, really. You don’t have to worry about me,” he interrupted politely, not knowing why he was getting anxious all of a sudden.

Amanda looked vaguely amused as she pulled something atop golden tendrils. “I was going to say you had a leaf in your hair.” Dainty fingers twirled a green leaf between thumb and forefinger, making the other flush in embarrassment, chuckling as he rubbed his wrist out of habit when something surprised him.

“O-Oh…”

“Uh-huh… But Leiss, you don’t have to hide it—your not very good at hiding things when it comes to that jock friend of yours. You get this look on your face that kind of reminds me of that girl in that book about sparkling vampires when her boyfriend left her that one time,” joked his friend, casually throwing a glance at their male friend who was almost crying as Serenity looked ready to destroy his hat with scissors. Not safe yet.

“I actually take offense to that,” Leiss said in bemusement, looking vaguely mortified.

“I can’t believe you knew what I was talking about.”

Silence, then a blank look from cynical hazels. “We both read the book at the same time. And don’t act like you hated it; I know you still have posters on your wall supporting Team—”

A hand covered the pale teen’s mouth as sky-blue hue’s widened in panic, drawing the indignant weight of Leiss’s quiet glare. “A-Anyway, I just want you to know we’re there for you. And if you’re so worried about your not-boyfriend, why don’t you just directly go to his house after school today? I’m surprised you haven’t done that already.”

When she released his mouth so he could reply, nothing passed those frowning lips as a shadow fell over his face, not hearing the regretful sigh as she inadvertently knocked him back into his pensiveness, host to a parade of thoughts that she could only imagine. She was his friend; it would be negligent of her to let her buddy fall prey to whatever self-reproaching thoughts he could possibly subject to himself to. Believe her when you she says he was quite creative.

“Uhhh...assholes approaching at 9:00 o clock. Take cover.”

Again Leiss was dragged from the murky waters of his thoughts at Cole’s impromptu warning, already feeling the inkling’s of a migraine form at the base of his skull at the approach of three guys who strutted (really) as if they owned the place. He didn’t want to admit that he knew this confrontation was inevitable, that it was going to happen one way or the other. Erik wasn’t here—the proper order had been disturbed and the cowards came out to hunt now that the buffer between their prey had vanished.

Little did they know, this prey wasn’t so easily sought.

“Hey Callaghan.”

Leiss wanted to pretend that the voice belonged to a ugly figment of his imagination but even he wasn’t naive enough to do that. So, it was with carefully disguised distaste that he was able to weave a decorom of cordality into his tone, trying not to let the tension seeping from his friends cause him to say anything rash. “How may I help you, Daniel?”

The one called Daniel scoffed while his two neatherdanl lackeys sneered repulsively from behind them, Shane and Derrick respectively. It was a shame that beauty was wasted on the inwardly ugly for Daniel was a good-looking teenage specimen. About a good six feet with a build chiseled by athleticism; soot-grey orbs set in a narrow, fair skinned face with a shock of copper-red hair to frame his glowering countenance, touching his ears while the back was shaved low. He knew he was good-looking—talented too, and he flaunted it non-stop to get his way. Shame that he was the worst type of human being...and by that he meant a bully. His crass and pretentious nature was usually kept in check by Erik who was team captain, but his absence seemed to mean that it was permissible to terrorize those he didn’t like.

It would seem he finally reached Leiss’s name on his list. And it was fairly common knowledge how much he despised him. “Faggots shouldn’t be allowed to spread their disease around the school,” according to Daniel. It made his skin crawl and his brain melt at the ignorance of it all.

“Where’s Erik? He hasn’t been at school for sometime and we have a big game tomorrow. I hope you didn’t do anything to him…” The warning was as clear as day, but Leiss just kept that neutral expression on his face despite how he could see Amanda’s hand curling into a fist in his peripheral.

“What could I possibly do to him? We’re friends—I’m just as worried about him as you are.”

Daniel looked like he might be sick but the annoyance that settled in those hostile grey’s told the blond that he clearly didn’t know what was up with Erik’s random disappearance either. A subtle part of him breathed a sigh of relief, desperately comforted by the fact he wasn’t the only one ostracised by the missing teen. Ugh, how pathetic did that make him to feel comforted from his enemies words?

“Well me and the rest of the guys were thinking that he might have caught the faggot disease from you and was too ashamed to show his face till he got rid of it. Quit trying to turn my friend gay you dick-sucking loser,” Daniel said as maliciously as someone could possible say with such vulgar words, meaning every syllable and consonant behind them.

Leiss knew his friends well and he could predict that they would stand to defend him. Yet foresight was a useful skill and he was quick to extend an arm out, deterring any hasty movements, holding that sinister gaze with a cool, collected one of his own, his voice like steel as they composed words. “And if idiocy was as infectious as whatever disease you think I have, then I’m not sure how Erik managed to keep his brain intact for as long as he has putting with up you.”

_“You little cum-slut—”_

The guy was fast; Leiss could give him that as fingers found there way into the collar of his shirt, hefting him out of his seat as his friends rose in retalation, looking as ready for a fight as good as any ill-prepared person could. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that those looming monsters at Daniel’s side would probably devour his friends in a heartbeat as impressive as their bravedo was. That was unacceptable of course; he wouldn’t allow that. Defiance burned like white, hot flames in his chest as he stared unflinchingly into enraged, grey orbs, meeting that snarling visage with a grimace of his own.

“Just because you're sucking Adolphus’s dick doesn’t mean I won’t beat the shit out of you,” Daniel said lowly, hatred bleeding into his voice like a slow ooze of molasses. “And believe me when I say, I won’t pull my punches just because your a fairy.”

“Do it, then. You have nothing to lose...well besides maybe that football scholarship I heard you just got. I wonder how that university will feel when their potential star is a delinquent, no-good bully.” The words were falling out of the blonde's mouth like an unfettered stream, that grimace of his turning into a merciless smirk as he saw the other grudgingly processing his words. “Imagine, all that precious money turning into ash in your very hands...all just because you decided to hurt me. You know us ‘faggots’,” the word was like bile on his tongue, “we can be real vocal when we want to be. And I guess it doesn’t hurt to mention that the dean is really into the theatrical arts, so I have had the opportunity to build a long-standing repore with him…”

The tension was nearly tangible as nothing was said for what felt like ages but was realistically just 30 seconds, Leiss letting out a mental breath of relief when Daniel grunted and roughly released him, turning away without a word while his friends trailed afterwards in hot pursuit. The first one to break the silence was Serenity, looking as if she was milliseconds from passing out:

“I thought you were going to die—why did you say that to him? You know he’s going to want revenge. And I seriously don’t want a puddle for a friend.”

Leiss just took a seat back at their table, feeling this inexplicable amount of weariness sing through his bones like the ceremonial hymns at church on Sunday, hiding his slightly trembling hands underneath the table. _Calm down, Leiss. Calm down. It will be fine—everything will be fine…_

“Let him. My words weren’t a bluff you know. If he has anything in that squishy container he calls a skull, then he’ll know what I said to be true,” said the blonde, staring at his hands, willing himself to calm down with each inhale of sweet oxygen, the weight of his medication alluring in his pocket. “But I know what you mean. I’m not a fighter, at least not physically. All I have are my words.”

“Well they certainly stopped you from getting a beat down—ow! Hey!” Cole rubbed his side after Serenity elbowed him in the ribs none too gently, throwing her a heated look that was blatantly ignored.

Amanda cleared her throat, rolling her eyes at the two’s antics. “Let’s just go back to the matter at hand and be thankful what just happened didn’t turn ugly. So what show did we decide on?”

“Lion King!”

“Something Rotten!”

Luckily, there was only five minutes left in the lunch period, otherwise Leiss didn’t think he was going to escape that arugument unschathed. 

 

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

 

Leiss thinks the last time he stood in front of 157 Ellenwood Way and was terrified to go in was probably the first time he was invited over to Erik’s house. A ball had come flying out of a window and had bounced off the mailbox to magically hit his father in the side of the head. Maybe that’s why his father detested Erik so much, but the blond couldn’t deny the surge of warmness that spread through his body at the sight of his father’s normally taciturn face displaying another emotion besides a cold apathy. Of course, as he looked at the modest-sized house now, the shattered glass had been mended and there were a couple of new additions that had appeared over the years. It was a place as familiar as his own home—if not more comely and welcoming, yet here he was, standing awkwardly in front of the door as he eyed the doorbell with a significant amount of indecision.

How hard was it to press a single doorbell?

Not hard at all; but he was making it way more difficult than it should have been. Seriously, why was he hesistanting so much? He wasn’t one to be indecisive about anything or ever lacked the self-confidence to question his actions. And it wasn’t as if he wasn’t prepared. Leiss, meticulous and almost to an obsessive compulsive extent, had prepared in entire dialogue in his head about what possible directions the conversation could branch off to. And it didn’t just include Erik; his preparedness also involved Erik’s mother, father, sister, brother—hell even the dog! It was ridiculous and more than a little worrisome, but what he was feeling was ridiculous and it was making him do out-of-character things. And he absolutely _loathed_ being out-of-character when he wasn’t doing a show.

This was dumb.

It was _infuriating_.

And he seriously hated the turmoil it had brought on his usually composed state of being.

So he pressed the doorbell in a rare surge of impulse, heart quickening in his chest, stuffing restless fingers into the depths of his pockets so they would have something to do other than twitch nervously.

And he waited.

Waited for what felt like _eons_ till—

“Leiss?”

Ah, well moment of truth.

Calm, amber hues that hid the true franticness within, brightened at the sight of a woman who didn’t look a day over 30. Her eyes were the same sea-green hue as Erik’s with just a dusting of brown around the edges to tell the difference. Same face but different; softer, feminine, with an undercurrent of ferocity if you looked hard enough. It would seem the only thing Erik got from his father was that mess of black hair for hers was a modest shade of chestnut-brown that was done neatly into a bun. If the latex gloves and the smell of bleach that clung to her was anything to go by, she probably had been cleaning just a moment ago.

For some reason, that eased the tension that had been coiling throughout his frame like a snake as he put on his best smile, not as false as the one he gave when talking to some of the officials at Church. “Mrs. Foster, good afternoon. I just came over to see how Erik’s been doing. He hasn’t been to school in a couple of days and I was a little worried about him is all.” _A lot._

Mrs. Foster threw an annoyed glance behind her as something suspiciously sounding like glass breaking erupted in the house, but the gaze softened upon returning to him. Leiss didn’t understand why he felt as if there was a quite apology behind them. “Oh Erik’s fine, dear. He just has a case of um...pneumonia.”

“Pneumonia?” As respectful as Leiss was, he couldn’t quite keep the edge of skepticism from bleeding into his voice. “In the spring? That's...rather random.”

“Unfortunately yes. It surprised us as well but there wasn’t any questioning that high fever and that painful wheezing of his. Luckily, his fever just broke, but he’s resting at the moment,” she reported thoughtfully, something strange about her expression.

The blond didn’t know if he should feel relieved or more concerned, so he just settled for a mixture of both, taking a light step forward, trying to convey his desire for entry as much as he could without seeming rude. “Do you mind if I see him?”

She shifted ever so slightly, in a way that was blocking the entryway, her expression tightening just a fair bit. “I’m afraid he can’t have visitors. His room is still a quarantine zone and I really don’t want you catching what he has. Imagine how he would feel if you got sick because of him?”

“I don’t mind—and I know you would have to force Erik down if our roles were reversed,” Leiss deadpanned, lips slowly losing that cordiality of his in favor of the beginnings of a determined frown, not understanding why she was preventing him from coming in. It was way too strange.

“Well, you certainly know my boy.” Her smile turned a little rueful, if not a little pained. There was no indication that she was moving though. “But as a mother, I can’t in good conscious allow you to contract what he has. Please understand—”

“Mom! I’m going to take Erik some cheetos. He said he’ll turn me into a pretzel if I don’t. Oh, hi Leiss!”

A messy, brown head poked through the little opening between Mrs. Foster and the doorway, dark-brown hues beaming up at the increasingly frustrated blond, a dark smudge on the corner of his lips. A half-eaten bag of cheetos was in his grasp.

“Hey Troy.” Leiss’s greeting wasn’t normally so curt, but he was afraid if he said more, he was going to unjustly snap at the kid.

Mrs. Foster seemed to share the sentiment for she shooed him away quickly as he grumbled, turning apologetic but stern eyes back to her guest. She seemed a lot more tired than she was a few seconds ago. “I’m sorry Leiss, but he really isn’t seeing anyone at the moment. I know your worried but he’ll be fine in a couple more days or so. Have a nice day, dear.”

“Mrs. Foster please—”

But the click of a door was as final as any dismissal if he heard one, having to stop himself from screaming to the heavens and pulling out his hair. That...whatever just happened didn’t compute. It didn’t process in that logical brain of his, trying to decipher why she turned him away and why her goal had been making sure entry into her house wasn’t in option. He could remember on one occasion where she literally gave him a key to her house, having thought it was silly that he didn’t have one as much as he frequented their house. Of course he couldn’t rightfully accept that gift so he returned it to her immediately, having to put up with Erik’s complaints for a whole week. So it was understandable why the vacancy of her normally hospitable behavior was confusing and frustrating him to no end. It wasn’t normal, it was out-of-place, and Leiss did admit that he regularly had issues with anything that varied to much from the norm. Not to say he wasn’t flexible or adaptable, it was just this was too…

_Odd._

A part of him wanted to ring that doorbell again, as many times as it would take for him to be allowed access into their home. His brain concocted many ludicrous schemes to find entry into their home, but his Christian upbringing wouldn’t allow his concious to humor such silliness for more than ten seconds at most before deciding on more logical approaches. Like perhaps trying another day. Or perhaps just waiting this out. Or wondering how Erik caught pneumonia of all things? For as long as he’s known Erik, he has never once in his life been sick, save for the occasions of when he went to therapy if you wanted to include that. To this day he still doesn’t know why Erik needs therapy, always being surprisingly deflected when inquired to the point he stopped asking a long time ago. Everyone had information about themselves that they weren’t too keen on sharing, no matter how much you trusted someone. When he thinks this to himself, the weight of the bottle of Buspar seems to grow heavier in his pocket.

_“Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles,”_ a proverb his father liked to say. And it was one of the rare things he could agree on when it came to his father...

Fingers tightened into a fist for a moment before they relaxed, as if he didn’t have the energy to harbor all his pent-up frustrations anymore. Why was he putting himself through all these obstacles? Good things came to those who were patient, so maybe it was time to divest himself of this worry and just be patient. Even if it hurt.

Even if his brain just wouldn’t turn off.

Leiss closed his eyes briefly as he descended the steps down the porch, bottom lip caught between teeth as he worried the moist flesh. Before he could reach his car, a school bus pulled up maybe a couple of feet ahead of the mailbox, allowing one passenger to leave before it turned away. Frustrated hazel’s gentled ever so slightly at the girl who blinked up at him in both equal measures of surprise and expantance.

Erik’s younger sister, Kaylynn.

Spitting image of her mom save for the bouncy, dark blond curls curtaining her face with a light dusting of freckles across her nose. Her brief smile revealed a glimmer of braces in her mouth before they were pulled into a self-conscious, tight-lipped expression.

“Oh hey, Leiss. I was wondering when you would show up,” she said in greeting, adjusting her bag as she grew closer.

The blond tilted his head curiously, marginally amused. “Were you now? And why is that?”

“Well...to see my bone-headed brother, right?” It wasn’t so much of a question so much as a statement of truth, something in that green-eyed gaze challenging him to say otherwise. “He’s been unwell so he’s been trapped in his room for sometime now. Doesn’t even come out for dinner so that's when you know it's serious.”

“Pneumonia, right?” He added softly, conspicuous of his true intentions.

Her ears couldn’t be so easily fooled if that sympathetic smirk was anything to go by. “Something like that I guess? I don’t even know myself; mom’s been the only one to interact with him lately. She doesn’t want us to catch it...whatever it is that he has.”

“Whatever it is?”

It was like she could sense the desperation to know had been gnawing something ferocious at his innards, her voice taking a whimsical if not slightly disturbed tone as she walked past him. “Well at some point when I walked past his door, I could’ve sworn I heard your name, slurred as it was. Kinda made me not want to walk past his room...like ever. But um, I got a show—err homework to do so I’ll see you later.”

And it was with that small donation of knowledge that a whole other waterfall of questions were released in Leiss’s hyperactive mind.

 

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

 

It was Friday, two days after his visit to the Foster household and Leiss was finishing his afterschool tutoring session with a perplexed freshman. Algrebra, as always, was an asskicker for the younger students, but he quite enjoyed mathematics more than the average guy. Not to mention the little monetary compensation was always nice for a little pocket change, smiling warmly at the 14 year old as she bid farewell, leaving the blond to gather his things. He wasn’t particularly pleased with himself; his thoughts hadn’t entirely been on the advancement of his client, sharing attention with nothing surprising: his M.I.A best friend. It wasn’t the full-blown distraction that he fell prey to for the last couple of days, but that didn’t mean it was a good thing. Slowly, he was learning to push his concerns away and focus on other matters that needed his attention, like arranging the trip to the theater for the club. Purchasing tickets at the last minute hadn’t been the most enjoyable thing, but he was able to pull some strings due to knowing the theater’s proprietor. Not the most honorable act, but he really didn’t look forward to seeing the disappointed faces of the new members.

Nor would Amanda let him live it down.

_“You had one job Leiss—one job! Shameful display!”_

And more insults and criticisms about his leadership that he was in no mood to humor. He supposed it wouldn’t be relevant to mention she also held a share of the leadership too and could contribute as well... But okay, no problem.

Derailing that thought train from going anymore off tangent, materials successfully gathered, Leiss was already making his way out of the library to a semi-occupied hallway. It was after 3:30; classes were mainly over and afterschool was in session so it wasn’t surprising when he passed by a couple of acquaintances who waved at him.

 By no means was he a “popular” kid, but he was admittedly reputable among a lot of clubs. He primary allocated his time to helping his drama club but he did frequent some of the others like Arts, Music, Mathematics & Science clubs, and sometimes even the tech clubs too. He wasn’t ashamed to be perceived as a “nerd”; he was just happy pursuing what he liked. So thats why when a couple of people did stop him to confirm if he was coming, he reluctantly declined, knowing that his attention was elsewhere and homework was unfortunately beckoning him.

It wouldn’t be fair to his peers if his mind wasn’t all the way there right?

Sighing, rather glum if he wanted to be honest with himself, he stopped in front of his locker to exchange some books, only to grow more excited than he would like when his phone vibrated. He fished for it, examining the screen in record time to be met with the slightest disappointment that it was just a text from Cole. Of course it wasn’t Erik; why would it be?

**Cole Wilson 16:02  
** _Yoooooooooooooo~ You still at school? Mind giving me a ride home? bro kinda bailed on me and i dont wanna have to rely on public transportation cuz err...reasons. :3_

Translation: “I don’t have any money, help.” Which wasn’t unusual. Cole had a tendency to just live off his monthly allowance, refusing to get a part-time job somewhere because he felt “the man” was trying to oppress them. Ah, did he forget to mention he was also an amutar conspirist theriosit too?

**_Leiss Callaghan 16:02  
_ ** _Sure. Meet me at my locker though. I want to grab something from my desk before we go._

He had left one of his notebooks in the desk there, which would assist him with his homework. Supposedly, anyway. He’d give Cole about five to ten minutes before he showed up. Until then, he would let his curiosity get the best of him, there had been a slight gathering of people that had been slowly increasing in size as he stood there. Intrigued, the blond approached, paling the moment he got close _._

_Oh no._

Standing over a trembling, blond hair boy who looked ready to faint from sheer terror was Daniel in all his predatory glory, wearing a visage of pure fury and malice. Standing back to deter any who would interfere was his two goons, looking rather haughty in their surveying of the crowd, daring the foolishly inclined to come get punished. Suffice it say, Leiss wasn’t particularly surprised at what he was witnessing, knowing it was bound to happen as a result of the home team losing the game yesterday. How did he know they lost the game? Well, he had been there of course, keeping his promise to a person who was still unaccounted for. He felt that Erik would have wanted him to go, so he did, out of respect for his friend and his promise. It wasn’t the most pleasant thing to watch: their team had gotten well... _wrecked_ to put it mildly—and it wasn’t because of Erik’s absence. Certainly that aided the reason for their loss, but it hadn’t been the one that dealt the finishing blow.

Daniel had been met with the rare opportunity of substituting as the quarterback for the team, essentially getting bumped into the team leader position. Of course, being the hot-blooded, teenage monster that he was, he was rather gung-ho about it, despite normally being the wide receiver for the team. He didn’t give orders or call out the plays. No, he worked in tandem with the true quarterback (Erik) as a well-oiled machine; one passing, the other running the ball as far as they could. It was the premise of their whole team. But with Daniel’s temporary promotion, you basically put a ill-fitting gear were it didn’t belong.

The guy called plays that was easily predictable by the enemy team; his strategy was lacking; and he didn’t contribute to team morale due to putting the blame on his other teammates who relied on him. The guy cracked under the strain and they lost the game in a landslide victory. If Erik had been there, he probably would’ve had a epic seizure.

So to put things simply, Daniel was _not_ in the best of moods and Leiss had been cautious enough, along with his friends, which by extension included the drama club, to take extra care to avoid him. But this unfortunate soul had lucked out and—

_God have mercy that was Will…!_

Leiss felt his heart lodge itself into his throat in cold fear as Daniel hissed something at the quivering teenager trapped between the lockers and that imposing form. Will was one of the new people that had joined: a freshman who was rather sweet, but had some issues with self-confidence and was a little insecure. He had joined the drama/theatre club because of his love for the arts and his desire to improve on said issues. He had a bit of a stutter and had recently confided in Leiss about his sexuality (which had been nearly traumatizing for the kid) after seeing how unashamed and comfortable his club leader was. Perhaps his attentions and advice had lead to their being an obvious crush that developed, but it was harmless and innocent so he didn’t admonish Will for it.

So of course, upon seeing this whole disgusting affair, Leiss felt the strain of all that pressure accumulated over this entire week finally caving in, prompting him to do something he almost never did.

And by doing something he meant acting without thinking, without analyzing or coming to any logical conclusions.

Leiss found himself stepping in the path between the two as he pushed Daniel back in warning, stepping in front of Will whose eyes he could feel boring into his back with considerable intensity. A part of him was satisfied as the football player actually stumbled back a little, surprise making grey orbs grow wide. Murmurs from the surrounding student body grew all the more louder, like honey bees growing restless at the introduction of a new queen.

Yet he nearly faltered when the surprise in those eyes turned into a vengeful rage, gritting his teeth as the other approached him, leering cruelly. “We just have fairies coming out of the woodworks today, huh? Must be my lucky day.”

“Will,” Leiss’s voice dropped an octave, furtively glancing over his shoulder, “get out of here.”

“But Leiss—”

“Do as I say!” The thunder and urgency in his tone broke no argument, satisfied when the younger scrambled to his feet and dove into the crowd of onlookers. Good. At least his conscious would be clear for the upcoming events. “I thought we talked about this, Daniel. I thought we talked about how this wouldn’t be good for you in the long run.”

“What are you? My guidance counselor? Please, I don’t need life-advice from a faggot,” scoffed the other, not bothering to keep the disgust out of his tone.

Leiss already knew Daniel wouldn’t acknowledge their talk if he was surrounded by an audience; he had a public image to uphold. But that was fine; Leiss definitely wasn’t a one-trick pony. “I find it very interesting how your so quick to make derogatory statements about homosexuals. Or why you actively prey on them. I wonder...why is that?”

Something brief, something vulnerable flashed across that scowling face before the jock’s lips curved into a mocking sneer, grey hues dangerously unamused. “What is this, 30 questions? Please, I know your little games by now Leiss. Your not going to talk your way out of this one.” As he said this, he did take a step closer, body ready to sprang into action, to maul its prey.

But Leiss wouldn’t stand down, despite how his instincts demanded self-preservation over all else. Yet honor and pride dictate he stand there and say his piece. This senseless bullying and preying could only go on so far before something snapped, and the budding actor was tired. He was so tired of this nonsense. His gaze sharpened as his voice took on a steely, uncompromising edge of its on. “Well if you don’t want to supply an answer, then I will for you. You know, I’m going to take an educated guess here because I would like to think I’m good at those. You know what I think?”

“Don’t really _care_ Fagahan—”

“I think your still in the closet. Yes, that sounds just about right. Your  what you hate the most: a homosexual.”

Silence so fragile that even a puff of air would’ve been able to shatter it into tiny, little pieces filled the hallway as everyone waited with bated breath.  As if you listened hard enough, you could hear the heart beats of everyone present. In spite of this, feeling rather vindicated, Leiss watched with dark satisfaction as a fleeting moment of comprehension and acknowledgement dawned behind murky-grey eyes, as the weight of everyone’s gazes landed on Daniel’s shoulders. The most confused and heaviest one’s being from Shane and Darrick who seemed to being going through a transition of emotion such as confusion, denial, apprehension, then finally settling on a cautious wariness. It satisfied him to see their silent questions as they looked at him, wondering why he hadn’t immediately denied who they believed to be some weak, little, gay guy.

But why should he? The truth deals a harsher blow then any weapon could, which was confirmed in how Daniel had trouble recovering from his verbal attack. And maybe, no not maybe—he _should_ have taken that moment to leave. But such triumph was too gratifying to not soak in. Leiss was being reckless, cocky. A challenge to his normal logical, collected self. But all the anger and frustration he’s been feeling lately seemed so much more tolerable because of this, acting like a balm to festering wounds. He should of fled, but his ego was making him suicidal, illogical. So much in fact that he couldn’t be more than a little shocked when fingers found themselves around his throat and a pain like no other squeezed around his esophagus.

“You disgusting, little cock sucker! Take back what you said! Take. It. _Back_!”

Each word was punctuated by painful slams into the lockers behind him, choking in pain as black dots exploded around his vision, feet coming off the ground. Desperately, he kicked out wildly, but it did nothing but make the grip around his neck tighten. “D-Daniel—”

“How dare you!? How dare you even suggest—,” the guy was _seething_ , barely able to articulate his anger from the magnitude of it all. “Fuck you! I’m going to make sure you don’t ever talk again, you piece of shit!”

Leiss really didn’t have the presence of mind to process those words; oxygen was being denied to his brain and his whole body faster than he would like. How long did he have till he went unconscious? Seconds perhaps? It was inevitable, and the reality of it wasn’t as scary as he thought it would be as he still struggled vainly to escape, having resorted to clawing at the hands that restrained him. It wasn’t scary because he was proud to have stood up for himself and his friend. So this whole tirade hadn’t been completely pointless. Offhandedly, as his conscious grew more dim, he wondered if Erik would have been proud of him. No...probably not. He would have been pissed that he didn’t keep his mouth shut. He tried to procure the image of Erik in his mind, pissed and annoyed, but ready to resolve the situation in his own way.

It was funny how his brain worked because one moment it was a mental image and the next, it somehow became real.

Somehow Erik had appeared and the next moment he was on the floor, massaging his throat soothingly, wheezing like his lungs had never been exposed to fresh air.

And Daniel was a few feet away, getting pounded into the ground to near oblivion.

It might have been his very intimate encounter with near asphyxiation that was causing his brain to move so lethargically, but his brain was struggling to process the sight of the teenager whom he has been waiting for for what felt like eons coming to his rescue. Leiss wanted to question his sudden appearance but stunned disbelief prevented his vocal cords from cooperating as he watched the repeated descent of knuckles meeting an increasingly blood face.

_Bam. Bam._ _Crunch_.

There was something horrifying about it all but you couldn’t tear your eyes away, not even when Erik picked the bully up by his shirt, back turned so Leiss wasn’t unable to see his face. But he could see Daniel’s though. Could see the streaks of red that streamed down his face in hot rivulets. Could see how one eye was swollen and discolored so badly that it refused to open. Tears mingled with blood as they leaked from his one good eye as a bloody mouth worked furiously, the crimson liquid tainting every garbled word.

“E...Erik—please man… It's me. _It's me._ Your fr—”

The sentence was barely out of the guys mouth before Erik was forced to let him go, tackled roughly to the ground by Shane and Darrick who recovered from their stupor to assist. But it was futile; it was like trying to contain a monstrous beast. A chilling, inhuman snarl escaped his friend’s lips as he kicked Shane in his chest, sending him flying into the locker right next to Leiss with a force that crumpled the metal door inwards. His body slid down, slumped unnaturally, unconscious. Someone brave (or stupid) enough was tugging at Leiss to get him to his feet as hypnotized as his was.

“Leiss! Bro, we need to go— _now_!”

That was Cole’s voice wasn’t it? Hazel orbs reluctantly flickered to the pale face of his friend who was trying to coax him to his feet. But Erik...Erik was right there. He just came back to him. He just couldn’t leave him. “He...he needs me. He needs my help…”

The look his friend gave him was one that questioned his sanity, grunting as he used a good portion of his strength to force the blond onto his uncooperating legs. “Does he look like he need your help right now? Fuck, what's wrong with him? We need to go. Like, now.” His voice had a tinge of hysteria in it, but those hazel’s were magnetized to the form of his friend who was on the verge of crushing the air out Darrick’s windpipe.

Out of the corner of his eye, the battered, coughing form of Daniel had rose to his feet again, staggering but determined as he fished into his pocket for something. A glint of steel caught on the ceiling light and Leiss felt his heart lurch, body making a move to interfere yet jerked back by his friend that was yelling obscenities at him. Erik didn’t know; his back was turned, making him unaware of the approaching threat.

Yet before Leiss’s tongue could formulate the words, Erik spun around and caught the blade of Daniel’s knife mid-thrust, one hand wrapped tightly around sharp metal while the other around the guy’s wrist. He didn’t give any indication of mercy before he moved his hand in such a way that he broke Daniel’s wrist, that ear-splitting scream summoning a rare surge of sympathy for the guy that made it his mission to bully him. For the guy who was now a sobbing mess as he fell to his knees, arm held gingerly to his stomach in a protective fashion, sputtering nonsense.

Blood fell softly from the area where Erik was grasping the blade, dropping it with a clang alongside the light pitter-patter of crimson liquid. It was like this that Leiss could finally see his face, could feel the cold that seeped into his veins upon realizing that he could barely distinguish his friend from what he was seeing now. Those sea-green orbs for which ensnared him from day one had such a inhuman, iridescent glow to them; pupils contracted into slits of animalistic fury while all the warmth had fully vanished from their depths. That expression was one of savage fury and rage that seemed impossible to quell while lips were pulled back into a snarl that exposed teeth. Were those...did Erik have fangs? No. Impossible. He must of been more shocked than he thought… But there was no mistaking that reverberating, guttural growl coming from his throat, staring down at the defeated form of his teammate with a hunger that didn’t belong on any person’s face.

Erik was going to kill him. He was going to _murder_ him.

_No no no._

“E...E...,” the word wouldn’t finish; when did trying to say a name become so hard? Vaguely, he could hear someone calling his name, demanding his attention. But they sounded so far away… “Please…”

Bloody fingers twitched before they curled into a fist.

Leiss closed his eyes, on the cusp of hyperventilating. _Please. Please._ “Erik! Don’t...don’t...please don’t...do this.”

The broken utterance was so soft he was sure Erik wouldn’t have heard yet that body stiffened jerkishly before twisting in his direction, eyeing him with such crushing force. But even as his legs threatened to buckle from underneath him, even as anxiety threatened to engulf him, Leiss held his ground. He held his ground as those wrathful orbs scanned his form frantically, searching for something as the glow around them dimmed and they softened into a warm, affectionate gaze. He held his ground as Erik took a step forward in his direction despite every cell in his brain telling him to run and hug this idiot. To tell him that he was moron and was even bigger moron for disappearing like that. Or the almost hell he put him through from sheer worry. Or what in the Lord’s name possessed him to do this.

Leiss wanted to do a lot of things but the moment was gone when a voice shattered the tense atmosphere:

“What in blazes is going on? Adolphus what are you…”

Shell-shocked students managed to part as Dean Matthews made his way to the center of it all, flanked by school security. The man’s jaw seemed unable to work as it opened and closed, staring at the scene, then at Erik who looked somewhat confused, if not a little dazed as he looked around. Upon absorbing his surroundings, fearful understanding seemed to dawn on him, knowing he wouldn’t be able to excuse the student who lay ignorant to the world against the lockers; the boy who was still trying to regain his breath; nor the one with a near disfigured face and wrist. Standing amidst the entirety of it all was incriminatory in itself so he didn’t resist when security seized him, face going disturbingly blank.

The dean was barking out directions and yelling into his walkie-talkie simultaneously as he tried to get control of the situation while Leiss stood there awkwardly with his friend who was moaning about something. A speck of yellow hanging a few inches from the dean caught his attention and his stomach rolled. Was that Will? Did he…?

“Callaghan are you hurt? Can you speak?”

Dazed hazel’s flickered up into the concerned countenance of the dean, trying to regulate his breathing without the aid of his medication. “I…”

“Those bruises around your neck—did Adolphus do that to you?”

_No!_

Even as his mind protested, Leiss hesitated as Erik was escorted pass him, their gazes meeting for the barest of a second. He saw so many emotions there, so raw, so fervent. But there was no regret, no sorrow for what just transpired. Just the remnants of something wild and primal that paced restlessly in its cage, waiting to be unleashed again.

_Just for him._

“Of course not.”

For a moment, as Erik turned his head, the faintest hint of a feral smirk twitched at the corners of his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! Hope you guys liked it! And if you do, feel free to leave any comments! :3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter ended up longer than I thought...so it's a bit of a doozy. Nevertheless, enjoy!

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_“The werewolf is neither man nor wolf, but a satanic creature with the worst qualities of both.” **— Warner Oland**_

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“This is unacceptable, Mr. Adolphus. Do you understand the severity of your actions?”

_I don’t care_ , is what Erik snidely wanted to answer back with, but the weight of two gazes, one frustrated, the other stuck between annoyance and anger, prompted him to think clearly about what next came out of his mouth. But what was there to think about? He had for all intents and purposes, beat the shit out of his former teammates (no point mincing words here; he wasn’t going to be able to go back) without mercy. Yet, a part of himself, wondered if he had truly been the one to hurt his former friends. Was it he who swung a fist repeatedly into Daniel’s face till it nearly cracked open? Was it he who kicked Shane so hard in his chest that he flew into the locker, never to get up again? Or was it the other side of him that boiled with rage when he caught sight of...his best friend seconds away from dying from an asphyxiation attack? The side that gnashed its teeth in its mental cage, broke down its confinements, and seized control of his body as easily one would put on a shirt.

He didn’t know because at the time, it was really difficult to distinguish whose madness and rage belonged to who. For once in his life, those two parts of himself had collided into a unified front with only a single imperative in mind:

_Protect mate._

_Protect Leiss._

The words had been synonymous at the time, but now as Erik sat here in the middle of the principal's office, mother in another chair next to him, livid, he was quick to reevaluate that harmony and seperate the two words. Leiss wasn’t his mate. What was he, some type of animal?

A part of him laughed darkly in agreement, fisting the fabric of his jeans to bring him back to reality, frightened of the agitated monster ambulating in its prison, longing to get back to the blond, to confirm his safety. Would Leiss hate him for having avoided him for a week now? For running from him? Erik deserved that hatred— and this wasn’t some type of self-deprecating declaration or anything. He just really felt like he deserved it. No explanation, no contact, no _anything_ for someone that cared about you. Yet how could he? In that state...that mindlessly delirious state that he had been trapped in...how could he even function—

Erik bit his lip harshly, willing those memories, those _sensations,_ to go away. Not here, not now, but a telling, subtle sniff from his mother told him he hadn’t been fast enough as black brows nearly shot up into a hairline. His eyes averted downwards, unwilling to answer the question that would certainly be there in questioning, similar hues.

“Mr. Adolphus, are you even listening? Your lack of answer isn’t doing you any favors.”

The teenager’s nostrils flared instinctually in defiance at that confrontational tone, dull gaze snapping up ferociously to meet usually warm, earthy-brown hues. Principal Mckinney was a rather straightforward, unprejudiced man which actually worked in his favor with his students and staff. He was impartial to everyone; didn’t pick favorites like you might see the other staff do; nor did he tolerate any kind of discriminatory actions from anyone. As severe as he sounded, the sternness of his nature was hampered by his genuine care and his prioritization of his student’s well-being over anything. And he certainly wasn’t lacking in school spirit either; Erik had on more than one occasion seen the man at his games and he was rather diligent in praising his skill. So of course, the teen couldn’t really blame the guy for being so infuriated by how he conducted himself on the day of his return.

That still didn’t mean Erik had to feel the need to be apologetic about his actions. He still felt...mildly justified in what he did even if another part of himself was criticizing and pointing out that those guys had been his friends, deplorable as their behavior was.

“Yes...I’m listening. But I hope your not expecting an apology,” Erik groused unrelentingly, leaning back in his chair further, arms crossed, expression carefully neutral but his eyes remained sharp. “Otherwise, you can just let me go right now.”

“Erik!” The crack in Mrs. Foster’s voice nearly made him wince, tensing when she stood up as if to reprimand him yet paused when Principal Mckinney cleared his throat politely.

“Now Teresa,” Teresa? When did he get so familiar with his mother? “Mr. Adolphus obviously doesn’t understand the magnitude of just how much trouble he’s in. If he decides to walk out that door, he will not be coming back into this school. That’s usually how expulsion works I’m afraid.”

“Expulsion,” echoed the 17 year old, brows furrowing, slightly alarmed now.

Principal Mckinney appeared grimly satisfied now that he has made some type of impact on the other, sitting back in his reclining chair as he cleaned his glasses. Without them, you could clearly see the stress of the situation creating more lines on his aging face. “Certainly, you didn’t think your actions wouldn’t come without repercussions? That isn’t the way the world works, my boy.”

It was here that Erik leaned forward, hands clenching his knees in silent anger. “Isn’t that a little harsh for a normal school fight? I was thinking suspension or community service or something.”

“A normal fight? Did you not see what you did to those boys?”

“Did you not see what they did to Leiss,” snapped the teen testily, hissing.

Coming from his side was a low moan of despair that drew his attention, feeling something inside his chest tighten at the woeful look his mother was giving him, like she didn’t know what she was going to do with him. He had been on the receiving end of that look a couple of times in his life, each time paling in comparison to what he was witnessing now. It was as if her entire world had caved into itself and now had collapsed rather snugly onto her strong shoulders, face nuzzled into her palms, spine bent and tensed into an uncomfortable angle. A son wouldn’t want his mother to ever look like that— not because of his actions.

Swallowing, just a little more humbled, more conscientious of other people’s feelings on the matter, Erik let the sparking anger fizzle out inside of him to a dull glow, tongue losing its incensed tone:

“I can’t really say that I did. I was...kinda mad.”

Understatement of the century there; a sentiment that seemed to be shared by the man sitting wearily behind his desk, shifting a hand through nearly snow-white hair. “Two out of the three had to go to the emergency room. One for cranial fractures and a severely broken wrist. The other for a handful of broken ribs and a cracked chest. Does that not sound severe to you?” Narrowed sea green hues was his only answer as he sighed with all the weariness of a man who had been suffering with insomnia his entire life, turning a listless gaze to the woman who seemed deep within her thoughts as deep as she was in the web of her fingers, trembling. “Listen Erik, it isn’t up to me whether you get expelled or not; its the Board of Education decision. You’ll be presented with a fair hearing in about 11 days or so and it is there that your school fate will be decided. This is of course legally mandatory as to give the accused a chance to say their piece. Seeing as there was about 20 witnesses at the scene that may want to testify, I don’t think it will be in your favor.”

“So you're basically saying my son doesn’t have a chance?” Teresa prodded hopelessly, taking a moment to meet the older man’s gaze, the weight of all her despair behind bright green eyes.

Mckinney cleared his throat again, his voice singed with sympathy. “I’m saying its a fruitless endeavor if you tried to appeal to it. And the whole process would be rather traumatizing to a young mind, don’t you think?”

“Then what do you suggest we do? We don't have any options; Erik needs to stay in this school!” Her voice was like an explosion when it came out, a dangerous concoction of fear and hysteria as she stood up and slammed the palms of her hands onto the wooden desk, the little items scattered about it jumping in response. Erik couldn’t help but marvel at the uncanny resemblance between himself and his mother just then, her displeased scent causing the beast inside of him to growl restlessly, suddenly feeling the desire— no the _urge_ to comfort her, as was his responsibility. What? “He needs to stay, Jonathan,” she reiterated tightly, a growl forming in her throat.

Mckinney looked non-pulsed, but he was careful to avoid meeting her eye, instead focusing on staring at her shoulder. “The importance of young Erik’s residency here isn’t lost on me. Do you forget who helped you to make sure he got into this school?” At this revelation of truth, the growl that had been smoldering in her throat simmered down, refusing to acknowledge the wide-eyed, incredulous expression her son was giving her. The principal took this opening in stride. “You must understand that Erik’s very existence here is special. After all, he is the only werewolf in the school— no rather in the entirety of the _human_ school system of Georgia.”

Sheer cold wove its frigid layers throughout his veins like an undetectable force as Erik’s throat tightened so much that he almost forgot that it was possible to even take in oxygen by inhaling. How the hell did he know? How did he figure it out? Does he know his mom was a wolf too? Shit, they were in danger. What if he told the police? They had to escape, now! Even as his mind raced a mile a minute, ready for action, he nearly gaped at his mother who didn’t appear even remotely shocked, just wearing some semblance of grim acceptance on her pale visage. How was this...why wasn’t she freaking out?

 For so long—hell for his entire existence on this earthly plain, they had been hiding what they were from every living thing that they encountered. They hid it so well that there were times when Erik forgot that he wasn’t... _normal_...that he wasn’t just your everyday human boy. But it was occurrences like these, those small lapses of no control, that reminded him he was not like everyone else. Or maybe he was being too lenient with himself. How could he forget that all of his senses were on a whole other spectrum of functionality than any mortal? How could he forget that it was vastly different physiology that allowed him to excel at the sports that he so loved, that gave him an unfair advantage now that he thought about it? Or how every month he was subject to the bodily dysphoria of being forced to change every month at the compulsion of the moon? Even...even his siblings and stepfather didn’t know. It was what made their existence so lonely, so tiring.

He _hated_ being this...this inhuman thing with a crippling passion.

He hated how he had to watch his strength every moment of his life so something wouldn’t get destroyed. He hated having to tell himself everyday when he looked in the mirror, that he was just like everyone else. Maybe, if his siblings were like him, this existence would be more bearable. Erik can still remember his mother’s somber expression when she told him at a very young age that they weren’t like him and never would be. They only carried half of this curse within their blood, dormant till given the right provocation, allowing them to choose a life between heaven and hell. Well, their mom didn’t give them a choice; only one of her children had to suffer with this affliction. Did that make him a little bitter towards them, towards his mom? Just a little. But it changed nothing; he was sentenced to be this way forever so why bemoan something that was out of his control?

Alone. Miserable. A slave to supernatural contrivances. His life summed up in a couple of words.

There were others like them of course, hidden throughout society, but they kept exclusively to their secluded communities. Yet the way that his mother conditioned him, Erik had no desire to seek them out or to learn more about this cancerous part of himself.  Why? He was supposed to be human right? He lived among humans, he shouldn’t even allow himself to think otherwise. It would only cause suffering. He (and his mother) would rather a blissful lie than a harsh true. So when that harsh truth was dangled so unsuspectingly in front of them, it wasn’t surprising that Erik reacted in a way to protect that self-imposed ignorance.

He stood up, snarling, voice tainted with something that wasn’t entirely human. “You should leave the fairy tales in books, Mr. Mckinney. My mother and I are everyday people.”

“Mr. Adolphus— ”

“Erik, don’t.”

Startled, sea-green optics blinked in blatant confusion at his mother who fall back into her chair unceremoniously, cheek propped up in her palm as she closed her eyes, sighing dolefully. “What are you saying?”

“Mr. Mckinney has known about what we are for a very long time. The reason for that is because he’s a half werewolf— like your brother and sister.” She explained, somewhat reluctantly.

A lopsided smile appeared on the older man’s face upon coming under the scrutiny of that apprehensive stare, trying to appear as receptive as possible. “Yes I am. My situation is a long, arduous affair that I would like to share with you if this entire meeting wasn’t about you, but it is. Just know that I’m sympathetic to your plight.”

“O-Oh.” Erik visibly deflated at this, sitting back in his chair, mildly disorentied.

“Because your mother and I have been long-standing friends, and because I have this position here, I was able to grant you admittance to this school so I can keep an eye on you during your puberty. Excuse me for saying this but pubescent wolves can be rather...unruly without the proper education. And unfortunately, this environment doesn’t provide that education.” As he said this, the ashes of Teresa’s anger rejuvenated into a full bonfire, drawing both pairs of eyes to her enraged form, one expectant, the other concerned.

“The education here is perfectly fine Jonathan,” argued Teresa, tone daring he say otherwise.

The principal tried to reign in his exasperation, but there was no escaping the curtness of his voice. “Erik doesn’t need a human education, he needs a werewolf one. I’ve humored your desire for him to stay within his human upbringing out of respect for our relationship, but even you can’t turn a blind eye to the fact he is and always will be a werewolf. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened.”

“You question my parenting?” Again, the growl returned, challenging.

“No I don’t,” Mckinney said slowly, carefully. “Your nurturing skills haven’t been pulled into question here. It’s his nature. You’ve done phonemanlly at holding  it at bay as long as you have, but there isn’t anything you can do anymore. He needs to learn how to control that part of himself, and that isn’t something that can be taught here.”

“I can control myself!” Erik exclaimed defiantly, redoubling back at the skepticism of two pairs of eyes, feeling rather foolish in that moment. “Most of the time…”

“Again, what are you suggesting I do? Your telling me why he can’t stay here but refusing to give me a solution!” If his mother didn’t have a certain level of dignity, Erik was sure she would be ripping her hair out by the seams going from how she was fussing with her ponytail, bottom lip caught between her teeth in irritation. “What would you have me do?”

“We can put him in a all werewolf school, where he belongs.” The principal said simply.

“No. Out of the question.”

“Teresa— ”

“No!” The woman had stopped in her restless fiddling with her hair, her palms again slamming into the mahogany finish of the man’s desk, sending a white cup falling to the ground. An indication of a dangerous contortion of her face began twitching at the corners of her lips. “I’ve been avoiding that for his entire life. To willingly put him in danger after all this time…”

“It's been 17 years— nearly 18, and you think he’s still looking for you? Everyone has their limits.”

_He?_

Even at the new softness of that grisled voice, whatever invisible concerns his mother had didn’t appear assuaged, countenance that of deep worry. Underneath that soothing scent he has known his entire life, Erik smelled an undercurrent of deep-rooted fear. What was wrong? Who were they talking about?

“He doesn’t. You don’t know him like I do—what he’s capable of.”

“No I don’t. But I think it’s in Erik’s best interest that he does this. I can only imagine that if he continues to have little...hiccups like these, he’ll eventually draw the wrong attention, no? And wouldn’t that be much worse?” The man was all logic, and for some reason, that made Erik think of golden hair like the sun and cynical, amber hues. Erik’s chest tightened.

The man’s logic was unfalliable so Teresa could hardly be blamed as she took a seat for the upteempth time that day, all the fight divested of her. Her smile was rather bitter. “Okay so I guess I should start looking?”

“Ah, no need. If you would allow me a moment…”

As he trailed off, the principal scooted his chair back and brandished a single key from a chain around his neck, fitting it into a draw at the bottom of his desk that clicked in agreement upon opening. Mckinney striped it of its contents and placed a manilla folder on his desk, eyes dark behind his glasses. Gingerly he opened it, revealing the documents within. “This is an application to Romulus and Remus Academy for the Gifted, the only werewolf school in Georgia. I’ve been saving it for any ah...unforeseen event. And I think now is as good as any time.”

Erik, still rather dazed by the proceedings, noticed the surly way his mother regarded the documents, like it would smite her just for looking at. “Rather prepared aren’t you? If I was easy to offend, I would have taken this as a sign that you didn’t have any faith in my son.”

Mckinney just pushed his glasses up his nose, a single eyebrow quirked. “Do you want this or no?” A single ink pen was offered to her, the waning sunlight bouncing off its gold trimmings.

It took exactly one minute before Teresa took the utensil and hastily begin filling out the document, ending off with a neat signature of her name. By the end, she looked as if she had signed her own death warrant from the way she eyed it with regret and so many other emotions. Once again, the principal looked distinctly sympathetic.

“I can call a few long overdue favors and have this process expedited tremendously. You’ll see his enrollment processed no later than Sunday.”

“T-That fast?” The woman’s eyebrows creased together.

“You’ll find the...supernatural side of things a lot more efficient than its mortal counterpart. But you should go home and prepare as soon as possible. As with all schools like this, he will be required to reside on campus during the week and may go home for the weekends and holidays.” Informed the man as he gave Teresa information about the school in the form of a folder, both of them unaware of the teenager who had finally snapped out of his shocked state and was host to a current of raw, unadulterated outrage.

New school? _New school!?_

What about his life here?

What about...what about Leiss?

He couldn’t be separated from him.

No! Unacceptable!

_They can’t allow it!_

His mother could sense it—could smell the sharpness of his scent as it was engulfed in fury, feeling the layers of control that he just recently managed to re-apply again peel off rapidly, a haze settling over his brain. Different was it from the one that had enveloped him mere days ago where instinct and some outer body compulsion played with his body in such a frightening, invasive way. This time, Erik was still there, but it was like he had drunkenly gotten out of the front seat that was control. The wolf was whispering sin and destruction in his ear, could feel it ghosting over his muscles and ligaments as it seduced control from him. Leiss...couldn’t be parted from them—would not. He wasn’t leaving, they would have to kill him first.

That horrifying heat that only came once a month under the light of the moon began to sing ever so loudly through his body; the irritating itch of what felt like needles pricking him from underneath his skin causing him to pant like a dehydrated canine, sweat beginning to moisturize his skin. Can’t...can’t...leave. No. No. _Unacceptable_. Can’t be allowed. Must protect mate. Must… It was like his brain was short-circuiting, thoughts burning out to make way for some obligatory objective imposed by an instinctual directive. The apprehensive, quivering shape that he once recognized as the principal seemed more like a threat in dimly-glowing, verdant eyes, the scent of fear a confirmation of everything. That staccato heartbeat was a telltale sign of prey and he growled anxiously, wanting to remove the threat.

Anything that stood between Leiss and him must have wanted to go to an early grave.

“Erik.”

The voice briefly cut through the fog, diverting his attention to the woman who was giving him her full attention, deceptively calm despite the slow curl of her lip. Wolf. Not prey, not prey scent. Pack. She was a part of his pack he remembered. But her rank wasn’t higher than his. Impose the hierarchy—he was Alpha wolf.

Erik bared apparent fangs in a warning display, snarling, commanding the female to bare her throat, to show her submission, mother or not. Despite his intimidating display she look barely fazed, looking him directly into the eye, a declaration of challenge. The teen’s inner wolf bristled indignantly and howled in fury, body thrumming with tension as he prepared to attack—

“Calm down, Erik.”

His muscles and bones seemed to lock in place as he came to a rigid halt, the power and sheer resonance of her voice making him whimper, inner beast thrashing wildly inside. Her very presence itself felt heavy, as if gravity itself was compelled to do as she commanded for mere seconds later he was on hands and knees, gasping desperately for breath. _Submitsubmitsubmit_ blazed through his mind like a mantra, still under the influence of whatever his mother was exuding as soft whimpers of  submission fell past his lips, feeling this instinctual need to get on his back and expose his belly. Like a good, obedient submissive. But he refused, maintaining a delicate fragment of his will—or had she just been merciful enough to allow him to believe that? Regardless, he would not dare look her in the eye nor challenge her authority or Alpha rank again.

Seriously, what the fuck?

As soon as he thought this, when the fog had lifted and the beast was subdued (and humbled) once more, Erik was allowed free reign of his body both physically and mentally, chancing a fearful look at the imposing cut of his mother’s form. She seemed determined not to look at him for those once smoldering, leafy optics was looking pointedly somewhere else. Ghostly vistages of that...whatever _that_ had been still haunted his body and he shivered pathetically, not understanding shit anymore. What the hell was that his mother had done? What the hell had he been moments away from doing?

A quick, cursory glance upward and he could see the principal wiping his brow with a napkin and habitually cleaning his glasses, discomfort still wired throughout him like electricity. To break the awkward atmosphere he spoke, voice light if not slightly nervous:

“Well I suppose that proves a point I had been trying to establish. Please, get him ready at your earliest convenience. And please don’t worry about matters here; I will get it taken care of as _cleanly_ as possible.”

Erik closed his eyes and listened to the miserable howl of his other half, the sentiment, for once, shared.

 

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The way home had been a silent, strained affair that was neither comfortable or entertaining as mother and child were intent on focusing on other things that weren’t the other, refusing to acknowledge the semblance they shared in regards to such things. If Erik had deigned to spoke, something would’ve exploded and he was sure they would’ve ended up in some catastrophic car crash that made the over-exaggerated deaths in Final Destination look tame. And there was also the little lingering fact that he was still mentally reeling from that strange thing that his mother enacted on him, could still feel the strings that threaded through his muscles, ready to take control at her behest. It literally felt like she had exuding some type of...aura or something that forced/cowed him into obeying. Even now the wolf in him was still whimpering with its snout between its paws and that made him surprisingly uncomfortable. Was he more respectful of his mom? Check. Did she scare the living daylights out of him?

That was also a check too. Make it double, just to be sure.

That aside, Erik was _not_ happy at all that he would be changing schools and going to some wolf school. How can that even exist? Wouldn’t normal people notice if there was an entire school of monstrous canines? It was a little worrisome and he wasn’t afraid to accept the disquiet drifting in his soul, sensing the very first vestibules of regret. You know, he would’ve gotten over it if there just wasn’t one little, ever-present detail. Admittedly, if the situation had been different, he might’ve allowed the seed of curiosity to take root. But that poor seed was decimated in the face of the fact that he wasn’t going to be able to see his best friend every day anymore.

The grief that this detail brought was phoenmal and it almost made his heart go into paraxsims of super teenage angst. Erik didn’t understand why this was wounding him as much as it was. Which also brought the question as to why he did what he did today? His feelings were overly complicated and any hint at an answer was met with strict denial and embarrassment. Did any declarations of his sexuality ring a bell? He wasn’t gay, remember? He wasn’t attracted to the same sex—he never was. Leiss was very much a male and as handsome as he was, somewhere in those pants was the same junk he had.

Well... _almost_ the same.

Not that he needed to be depressed anymore than he was so he assassinated that line of thinking before it could properly flourish, nearly jumping out of his seat when they pulled into the driveway only to remember the restraints of the seatbelt. Fussing with it as he was, the thing being the unfortunate target of the day’s culmination of all his frustrations and hang-ups, Erik was unable to prevent himself from flinching when his mother placed a hand over his.

The tension was so thin you could slit it with a brush of a finger.

“Erik—”

“ _Don’t.”_ His voice was tight with barely controlled anger, doggedly dismissing the hurt that flashed in uncanny green’s as he released himself from the car seat. He was utterly _pissed_ but even he didn’t have the heart to be that callous to his mother. “I just need some time alone. It’s been a really... _weird_ and tiring day. I’ll be fine.” That was a really bad description but luckily his mother had the patience (or self-preservation) to let him go, missing her wince as he slammed the door harder than he intended. Hopefully that wouldn’t need repairs; he really didn’t need to hear it from his stepdad. The guy might end up threw a window going from his current mood. Being human and all, that would probably not end well.

Erik allowed himself a rare, dark sneer as he entered the house, walking past his younger brother who was sitting in front of the tv, controller in hand. Troy called after him excitedly but it was like the wolf hadn’t heard him in his pursuit towards solitude, coming to a pause outside a burgundy door. The disgruntled teen reached out towards the doorknob, stiffened, and let his hand fall hopelessly to his side.

The flesh that had been rent by metal was perfectly unblemished, reminding him of his inhumanity.

But why was he allowing this to bother him now? It wasn’t like he didn’t know it healed. Before going to the principal’s office, he was escorted to the nurse to investigate his hand. She cleaned it of blood, quirked a brow, and looked at them stupidly. There had been nothing there of course—what were they playing at?

Erik pressed his forehead to the cool wood of the door, mind at the precipice of snapping.

_Monster._

_Freak._

_Aberration._

Today, the school that had loved him so, saw the true Erik Adolphus. Away with the lies to reveal an ugly truth. Peel back the skin and see the monster salivating underneath, waiting to devour them all. For why should it care? The only thing it cared about was—

_No!_

Teeth bared in a surge of denial, Erik, wanting someway to escape this torturous circle of thought, barged into his room and instantly regretted such a rash action. The heady scent of aroused male—of  _him_ aroused attacked his senses, buckling his legs, submerged in a torrent of tainted scent. Fuck. What was he thinking? The scent of...the smell of that state he had been in (his mother called it “rut” and she would say no more) still perpetuated ever corner of this room. Spectral heat danced under his skin again, eyes going unfocused, jaw slack as every memory and faded sensation assaulted him again.

Erik had never felt that way before; had never felt so mind-shatteringly aroused; had never felt the irrevocable desire to find the nearest, unrelated person and fuck them till neither of them could move again. His clothes had been suffocating; the blankets smothering; and the very room itself was like a cage that contained his personal hell. Every nerve in his body had been alight with hell fire, threatening to consume everything from the minutest sensation. And _god_ he had been so hard; could remember the the angry redness of his cock as it weeped copious amount of precum. Could remember the pulse and throb of it _needing_ to be touched. Even the slightest of brushes and a small spurt of white fluid would dribble out.

So he touched it.

He howled.

_And howled._

So much his throat was hoarse and he had to bite his lips till his mouth was bloodly to contain it all. It didn’t make any sense why he was feeling this way. All he knew was that it felt like he was dying and resurrecting in a cruel, endless loop, with only his hand for any type of relief. With shaking fingers he formed a warm tunnel for his aching member and stroked himself till he was cumming in delirious spurts. Oh how he _ached._ It was never enough. No matter how much he came, no matter the mindless pleasure his body had been feeling, his erection wouldn’t die. He was a slave to it— the heat and the longing to find someone to satisfy him.

But his brain wouldn’t be satisfied with anyone.

No, it needed gold and amber.

It changed when his mind had something to focus on; had an image to keep it grounded as it coveted something it was never supposed to. Leiss with his hair like spun gold and molten-hues of nut-hazel; with his soft pink lips and even softer skin. The beast wanted to break him, wanted to dominate and claim his unsuspecting friend. Sinfully delicious images of that naked, exposed body underneath him, sobbing for him—for _his_ dick made the pleasure he had been feeling increase tenfold. Erik imagined suckling on pert, pink nipples; imagined biting unmarred skin wherever he could reach; imagined filling him with his seed. Claiming him. Making him as his. His mate.

_Hishishishis—_

The thoughts reached a maddening crescendo and Erik remembered the incomparable feeling of his dick tightening and swelling at the base for the first time of his life. Could remember the earth-shattering pleasure as he thrusted helplessly into his hand, seeking tightness for the bulb that thickened with sensitivity till he fell over the edge, sobbing brokenly into his pillow. He hadn’t been able to move his hand for a while; every little movement summoned a hypersensitive jolt through him, rooting him in place while his member wouldn’t stop ejuculating. It didn’t stop... _it wouldn’t stop_ , not till he was laying naked, trembling, finally able to breathe again when the swelling _finally_ went down. But then…

Then…

He would think of gold and it would start all over again.

For days he would go like that till it blended together in shifts of foggy rest, jerking off, and trying to nibble on whatever his mother was able to slip past the door.

No, he seriously didn’t want to get pulled back into that madness again.

So it was with pure strength of will that Erik summoned a considerable amount of strength and exited his room in a near crawl, slamming the door and exiting the house through the front door. The air was cool against his clammy skin as he sunk defeatedly to take a seat on the stairs, head in the fold of his arms on his knees.

Today fucking sucked.

And he really was on the cusp of being overwhelmed.

What should he do? His next course of action was hazy but he needed to talk to someone. He owed a particular someone the truth, owed them an explanation for a week of absence. Of course that would be breaking something akin to a law that his mother imposed on him as a child. Never reveal his true nature—a principle of behavior that evolved with him over time till it was so deeply ingrained into his normal, everyday functionality. But he needed to talk; his mother wouldn’t do for she played a part in his grief. Fingers were seeking the chrome sleekness of his smartphone, swiping through the list of contacts, and cringing at the unanswered messages.

**Erik Adolphus 17:05**  
_heyyyyyy. you mind coming over for a bit? i think i owe someone an explanation yea?_

The door creaked behind him, peering over his shoulder furtively, inwardly sighing at who it was.

“Hey Erik! Erhm...was just checking on you and um…”

Erik blinked, putting the end to that trail of thought with a quirked, doubtful brow. Besides the uneasy way his brother approached him, the teen could tell there was an ulterior motive here. Normally, he had all the patience in the world for his siblings—as was expected of him. Yet they too received similar treatment that he gave Leiss over those long days, magnifying the guilt and doubling the problem. Kaylynn didn’t seem too fazed by the whole thing, reasonable considering she was just as suspicious as she was about anything “weird” that transpired around them. Troy, on the other hand, was beyond worried about his “condition” and was nearly ecstatic when Erik finally trudged out his room, concerned at the paleness about his features and the wild look in his eye. Sibling worship had been strong in this one. It wouldn’t have been a problem if Erik had been a _normal_ older brother.

But he wasn’t.

So it was hard sometime.

Like it was now, where he had to come up with some excuse to get the kid away, seriously not in the proper mindset to humor whatever he had in mind. Hardening himself, already making a promise to rectify whatever dip in their relationship got bruised from his rough handling, Erik turned to face him, frowning. “What’s up little bro? Kinda busy here.”

_Doing what_ , the kid looked ready to say but held his tongue, mercifully deciding not to be impertinent at the moment. Maybe he could tell today wasn’t a good day because he was still wrestling with his courage, mildly flushed. “O-Oh sorry! I just...er…” He really wasn’t ever so hesitant like this; what’s got him so worked up?

“...”

“I just wanted to know if you wanted to play video games with me!”

Really, that was it? All of this struggle just to ask for that? Erik didn’t know whether to be relieved or irritated, so he just choose something unclear in the middle, trying to fix his expression so it wasn’t so much of a scowl but a half-hearted smile. Offhandedly his phone vibrated, but he tried not to look just yet. “Maybe another time. I really do have a lot on my mind.”

“But,” now Troy looked frustrated, little fists clenching and unclenching, brows furrowed, “you promised that we would after you got a bit better.”

He did? Since when?

A couple of days ago wasn’t particularly reliable; he had just been in the process of reorienting himself. Erik grimaced, not knowing what else to say. “Look, I’m going to need a couple more days, okay? I really am busy you know.” Weak. But he didn’t have anything else.

And Troy was reading him like a book, chocolate-hues narrowing at his fumbling and trying to understand why his normally acquiescing brother was brushing him off. “Busy, how? Sulking? Cuz that’s what it looks like.”

_Why you little shi—_

“Troy! Get in here and clean this mess!”

The ever-so convenient call of their mother came from out the front door, undoubtedly using that mother’s intuition of hers because Erik’s temper sure did flare, a un-sibling like comment heavy on his tongue as both brothers glared at each other. Well perhaps it hadn’t been that—that was too normal, too _human_. She probably had listened to that entire conversation, wary of Erik’s mood, and was prepared to interfere accordingly before he could react. It was one of the rare times when supernatural hearing had been a boon instead of being an instrument of detecting when he was going to be in trouble or not. Still, it was a better explanation for the 12 year old who shot him an accusatory look before racing off, wincing at the hurt that he saw reflected in doe-brown irises.

There would still be a chance to make amends; one thing at a time. So Erik looked at his phone, checking the message.

**Leiss Callaghan 11:15  
** _I don’t think an explanation would be adequate. But I’ll humor you. I’ll be there within the hour._

It was perhaps one of the longest hours for the wolf, the other incident being when he had been trapped on the school bus after one of his games, at the mercy to his bladder. Coach had been particularly vengeful that day...granted that he did skip practice to fool around with one of their cheerleaders. In hindsight, it hadn’t even been worth it; the girl (seriously he was so bad, couldn’t remember her name) had been willing to take it further than their clumsy kissing, but as per usual when granted the chance, Erik killed the opportunity. Enough porn told him that his... _equipment_ wasn’t exactly normal, not that he had been concentrating on the male actors junk or anything. He just couldn’t help but notice that there's lacked the bulge at the base— and it concerned him a lot. It wasn’t just one, _but all of them_. It wasn’t long till he started understanding that it was a human thing, meaning it was his dick that was weird not theirs. Hell it confused the shit out of him. And it wasn’t like he could talk to his mother about it or his very human stepdad. Oh hey, my dick has this bulb thing at the base? That normal? Oh yes, that conversation would have gone splendidly. He didn’t need a round two of how babies were made; once was enough, thanks.

So yeah, no going pass second base, as hard as that was. Pun intended.

Listening to his teammates getting laid and regaling it amongst themselves was hell on Earth. More difficult was dodging questions why he hadn’t done so yet, resulting in good-natured teasing that became tiresome fast. First reason was he couldn’t get it up or maybe he was just shy—stuff of that nature. Last were comments about his sexuality, if he played for the darker side. But that quickly died when he denied it that one good time, letting the wolf’s voice bleed into his own and that ended it there. Daniel never stopped giving him questioning looks after that or making off-colored jokes when it was just alone and Erik had been too lazy to put a stop to it. Maybe he should have. Maybe he wouldn’t have given Leiss such a hard time if he did…

Speaking of which…

Unconsciously, Erik found himself straightening up from his hunched over position as that little red car parked smoothly along the curb, throat feeling so suddenly dry. Why was he getting so nervous? It was just Leiss. Best friend since like...forever. Even so, his heart was racing a mile a minute, moistening his lips with his tongue as Leiss stepped out, wearing a blue cardigan and jeans with a shirt that said “Why…?” rather dramatically. Oddly, there was a black scarf around his neck. Odd because it was really warm today. Then it clicked and he felt a low rumble from the beast that had roused at the approach of that familiar scent. So he closed his eyes, willing himself _not_ to be reactionary and only opening them again when he was sure he was calm.

Leiss was standing a mere feet away, expression meticulously neutral.

Ah, not a good sign.

“How are you doing, Erik?” Graciously, the blonde had broken the silence with that simple question, sparing Erik the awkwardness of clumsily starting the conversation. Small mercies...despite the faux politeness in that light voice brimming with a considerable amount of emotion.

“Could be better. I wish you weren’t seeing me looking so uncool,” he said sheepishly, wincing at the deadpanned stare as he got up, rubbing the back of his head.

Leiss looked like he was seconds away from rolling his eyes. “Well, opposed to not seeing you period, I'll take my chances with this. For a moment, I was considering that Erik Adolphus was just a figment of my imagination. Anyway,” he killed whatever his friend was going to say with that one word and a tired glare, “are you going to show me in? Or should I make myself comfortable on the porch?”

“Actually no.” The wolf cleared his throat as he closed the front door, uncomfortable of the perplexed, inquisitive expression he was receiving. “I would like to talk somewhere else, if you don’t mind.”

“Why?”

One word, but there were a billion and one other hidden questions behind it. He could only answer one at a time, the curse of the simple-minded. “I’d appreciate some privacy.”

A single hand came to rest on a slim waist, amber hues decidedly more cynical than he has seen them in a long time. “And your room isn’t sufficient enough?”

“Not even a little.”

His bluntness surprised the blonde who studied him for a long minute, taking in his appearance in that analytical way of his. Whatever he saw, something about it caused his gaze to soften just a little, alleviating the harshness of his approach. “Who do you think would be listening?”

“Someone who should mind their own business.” As he said this, keen ears picked up the clatter of some silverware, inwardly making him smirk as he descended the porch steps till his shoulders lightly brushed the other’s. The momentary closeness was like sweet torture as vanilla and almonds tormented his olfactory senses, eyes glowing just for a second before it was gone. Control. He can do this. He wouldn’t lose it. “Mind following me? I have a place in mind where we can talk.”

“It’s your show, playmaker,” Leiss acquiesced simply, curious despite his suspicion.

Taking a calming breath, heart fit to burst through his chest cavity it would seem, Erik began leading the way into the woods behind his house, cautious of similar, verdant-green hues following them till the foliage grew too thick to see pass. It was spring so they did still have a couple hours more of daylight before it grew too dark, not that it mattered to Erik—his eyes were easily accustomed to the darkness better than it was in the light if he wanted to be honest with himself. Which he really didn’t. He liked to play human, wanted to be like the very human blond trudging behind him, patiently enduring this little excursion. It wasn’t too bad; there was a faint path that they were following that had been terraformed with a little help from his mother and himself. How they did so...he’d rather not say, just knowing that the other part of himself was giddy with delight, like a king returning to its palace from a long sojourn.

Here it was king. Here is where it hunted.

And here...is where everything will be revealed.

The anxiety he had been feeling the moment that Leiss pulled up reached its climax as they reached a defoliated area where a small dip in the land allowed a small creek of water to pass through. Arching over the creek was a rather huge slab of rock where he made himself comfortable, the added height allowing him to look over his friend’s head if he so choose, trying to compose himself in the presence of that suspicion. Keep calm. Everything was fine. His perch allowed him the advantage of being downwind to the intoxication of Leiss’s scent, knowing that keeping his mind was paramount for this to succeed. This time, he took the initiative to break the ice:

“It’s been a while since we came here together…”

Not the smoothest thing ever but Leiss took pity on his poor soul and obliged him, arms crossed somewhat stiffely. “Exactly ten years to be precise.”

“Yeah! Remember we used to catch tadpoles in the creek for hours,” he chimed in, reminiscing. If only things were still that simple.

Unfortunately, the blond didn’t share the sentiment, knowing his patience had reached its threshold. “Yes I do. I mostly remember you splashing the water, getting mud everywhere, including myself, and trying to eat the tadpoles despite me trying to stop you. It was a lot of work.” Shaking his head, he uncrossed his arms, so serious that it made the wolf nervous. “Enough of memory lane; you got me out here. Now talk. What’s been going on with you? Not that I don’t appreciate what you did for me earlier but...you were so...”

_Different._

The word didn’t need to be said for Erik to understand, to feel his heart twinge at the confusion that was blooming on a lost face as chestnut colored eyes dug daggers into his soul, each stab a question, a need to comprehend. But where do you start? Just because he had led his friend here, doesn't mean he was particularly organized about accomplishing his agenda. And that was disadvantageous when dealing with someone like his friend who functioned on details, logic, and evidence.

So why think? He would have to just wing it, as always.

“They’re going to expel me.”

“W-What?” Leiss stammered uncharacteristically, taken by surprise.

There. Establish a tempo here. The wolf smiled wanly. “I fractured Daniel’s skull and broke a couple of other things in Shane’s body. They had to go to the emergency room and with all those witnesses, there isn’t much hope for a nicer sentence.”

“Erik, that’s terrible.”

“What part of it?”

“All of it. But…,” Leiss paused, his expression critical while his eyes glistened with so many things he wanted to say, “I can’t say its not entirely unjustified, no matter how... _chivalrous_ your intentions were.”

Erik gaped at him. “He was going to kill you!”

“It certainly looked that way,” he said curtly, non-pulsed. “But you could have subdued him in a less violent fashion.”

“So your judging me for helping you,” hissed the ex-football star, temper flaring as the beast inside snarled in displeasure. Leiss should have appreciated him. Mate should have recognized his strength, saw him as _worthy._

_Breathe. Keep control. Calm down._

A disapproving frown curved pink lips, gaze wry. “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying what you did was wrong per se, but how you went about executing it is where the problem lay.”

“He deserved it,” Erik hissed darkly.

The frown deepened. “That isn’t something you would normally say. What’s wrong with you lately, Erik? Your temper has been out of control and you disappeared for about a week because of...pneumonia? If it was that bad, why didn’t she take you to see a doctor?”

“Pneumonia...is that what she told you?” The wolf repeated, mystified.

The surprise that Leiss heard in his friend’s voice didn’t make anything better, instead, igniting growing fuel as he almost lost it on Erik, trying to keep cool, to keep sane. But the incredulity had already seeped in. “What do you mean, ‘that’s what she told you’? Your the one who had it!”

“Well she lied.”

“ _Obviously!”_

Erik flinched at the biting edge to that voice, suddenly feeling like his back was pressed against a wall. “She didn’t have much of a choice.”

“Well the truth will certainly set you free.” Even as he snapped back, those uncertain sea-green hues which he loved so much refused to look at him, further stimulating the aggravated current sealed within him. Heated now, Leiss too took a step forward, wanting to reach out and shake the other till he became more forthcoming instead of being so uncharacteristically vague. It was silly! “You have me here, right now, quite willing to listen to everything you have to say. To listen to the truth! I mean you could start with why you ran from me that weekend over something that you did by the way. Or, you could tell me why your mom lied to me about you having pneumonia? Or why have you just been acting _odd,_ period? Really Erik, the sky’s the limit here. How hard is it to get just a solid answer from you?”

Those words seemed to snap something within Erik’s brain as he slid down and was staring into Leiss’s startled face with a wild-eyed expression faster than lightning could flash, gripping the blond’s shoulders with trembling hands. Now was the time— it had to be now. He wouldn’t have any other opportunity to tell Leiss what he so desperately desired, a truth that would probably void the relationship that they shared and change the blond’s perception of him forever. He had to say it, lest the guilt and dishonesty that had been festering inside of him like an open wound finally kill him. Maybe...maybe this was a selfish thing for him to do but his conscious needed some form of absolution from this despicable existence. But Leiss wanted the truth, he wanted this his mind twistedly reasoned defensively.

Disturbingly, that bestial side of him, had went completely silent, observing, _waiting_ for something.

Erik didn’t care.

He was so done.

“Leiss, if I tell you...do you promise—promise me that you’ll still be my friend,” he said desperately, a touch of hysteria lacing the edges of his voice.

Incredibly wary now, brows furrowed in confusion, Leiss’s frown lightened a little, not sure how to react to this sudden change. “Depends on what your going to say, so that’s up to you.”

“Is that a promise or not?”

“Y-Yes, I promise. Please...lighten your grip a little,” requested the golden-haired male, not sure how to process the other’s behavior right now. But Erik wasn’t put off, relaxing his grip slightly, unable to let go due to the allure of that disorienting scent.

“Well, to put it mildly, I’m...I’m a..werewolf.”

_Silence._

Erik knew his delivery was lame but there wasn’t anything much he could do to spruce it up, hoping blindly that would suffice. But a lean hand smacked his hands from slender shoulders, pain bleeding into his eyes as Leiss gazed back at him in hurt disbelief before it vanished, in its place an unforgivable anger. “Stop joking around otherwise I’m leaving. I refuse to let you waste my— ”

“Look! Look at my hand!” Exclaimed the frantic werewolf, holding up the hand that had been cut with a blade for Leiss to see, to show him the unmarred skin. “I was cut earlier when Daniel tried to stab me. But it's gone now, see!? I heal, unbelievably fast!”

Leiss appeared momentarily stunned before he shook his head tiredly, all his anger dissipating in place for exhaustion as he realized his friend was going to continue with this little stint. “It mustn’t have been too deep then. Seriously Erik, _stop_ — ”

“I can hear for miles, Leiss. I can hear from quite a ways from us a deer taking its dying breaths, lying on the ground somewhere as it dies from some internal wound.” That wild-eyed look came back with a vengencae, deseperation oozing into every word as he gingerly gripped the blond’s wrist, careful of the bones that felt so delicate underneath smooth skin. With painstaking slowness, pupils turning into dazed slits as if spellbound, he nuzzled the soft flesh of that wrist, moaning softly in a almost drunken stupor. “I...I can...can smell the blood pumping into your veins, can still taste it on my tongue. So warm, so...so _you.”_

Flushed with embarrassment, Leiss snatched his wrist away, alarmed and just a tad frightened. To go to such lengths to keep such a fictitious tale alive was a little too much. “Erik, this has gone far enough, even for you.”

But it was like the wolf couldn’t hear him; lost in whatever reverie he was fabricating as he circled the blond a couple times, staring at him with an uncomfortable amount of intensity as he spoke again, voice a low purr. “You promised me your friendship, right Leiss? Yes?” Erik was getting closer, backing the frightened blond against the cool surface of the rock, blocking off any escape when he placed two hands on either side of that fearful face. “You know what I am now...and I know you. _I know you._ ” It was like Erik was the one speaking but at the sametime not, unable to stop himself from burying his face into the warm pulse-point at his shaken friend’s neck, moaning helplessly as he was submerged in that seductive scent. He could hear the other teen’s heartbeat flutter, could smell the heightened scent of fear, blood and something else. It _called_ to him. “I can smell...that you want me, don’t you?”

“Erik, please. This isn’t you, you would never say these things.” His voice came out as a hushed, stricken whisper, something broken and tragic behind his each and every word.

But the werewolf misunderstood and took a step back, expression divested of its inebriated stupor for something akin to sad resolve, but nonetheless determined. “You still don’t believe me, huh? I guess I’ll just have to show you.” It was still his voice but there was a hungry presence behind it as he began to methodically pull off his clothing, ignoring the sputtered protest from the blond’s whose heart rate seemed to pulse faster with guilty excitement. His lips—but not his lips?—smirked devilishly till he was rid of constraining fabrics, amused by Leiss’s adamant refusal to look at him, despite the desire spiking drastically in his scent. Had Erik been fully there, he would’ve questioned why that was, but his body was summoning that familiar heat again. And it scared him—he never tried doing this willingly. But was he willing? It felt like...like his mind only maintained an illusion of control. Yet it was too late.

The pain was already wracking his body.

His very legs buckled underneath him when they made a cracking sound as they began to deconstruct into something more fitting; hearing his innards shift and other muscles and ligaments tear and rip and be born anew. Muscles expanded and with it they grew, needing a bigger container, forcing his skin to stretch to accommodate it. It was _agonizing_ , too suffocated by pain to make any other noises but tortured grunts and groans, turning suffering eyes onto his horrified observer that was paler than a ghost. He wanted to speak but his tongue had warped into something incapable of producing human language. _Just keep control, just keep control, oh please_ —but his brain was melting. _He was melting_. Layers of midnight-black fur sprouted along the length of his body; fingers fusing into huge paws; face extending into a panting muzzle; and ending with an extension of a bushy tail. It was done. Finally the torture was over.

Then Erik realized, he wasn’t the one in control.

He wasn’t the one who was padding closer to the near petrified, disbelieving teenager who looked at him in such a way that it broke his heart. Fear. Confusion. Terror. He opened his muzzle to ask words of concern but a bone-deep growl came out, finally shocking the blond out of his terrified state.

Leiss ran.

_And he lost it._

Snarling in rage, hurt that his mate was abandoning him, Erik spun around and thundered after him, bigger than a full-grown horse but still a sleek, deadly machine of graceful predator. So it was no small wonder that he was able to leap in front of the fleeing human in one small bound, snapping at him in warning as he batted the teen to the ground with the underside of his paw. He didn’t expect the gasp of pain or the awkward landing of the human squashing his wrist between the ground and himself. It hadn’t been his intention; he was bad. Check mate. Check for injuries.

Erik got low to the ground on his belly, inching forward, whining softly, pitifully.

The blond flinched fearfully, eyes downcast, holding his swollen wrist protectively to his stomach, fear souring that normally pleasant scent.

What...what was he doing?

What had he done? Did he...did he hurt Leiss?

Horrified and ashamed at the realization, regaining complete, clear control of his body, Erik backed away with clumsy paws and fled, knowing that he had destroyed something irreplaceable.

Destroyed everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did have fun writing that...and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it. Please, leave your thoughts! :3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that this is so late! But I'm notoriously bad for getting distracted so this took longer than it needed to. So I bring a peace offering in the form of an update and a commissioned piece of art by the awesome luqy_piupiu2. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter! Italicized text in quotes is phone conversation by the way!

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_“By that sin fell the angels.”_ **_— William Shakespeare_**

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It was dark.

His body screamed with exhaustion...among other things.

And he literally had to stop himself from sliding down his front door as he closed it, body feeling heavier than tons as if every suspended problem came crashing down all at once.

But it wasn’t your normal problem. It wasn’t something that you could slap a band-aid on and hope it would feel better than the next day.

Could you really slap a band-aid over the phenomenal, near-fictitious truth of your best friend being a supernatural canine like some rip-off plot from a teenage novel?

Point made.

It had taken every fiber of his being to even look-up when the giant wolf monster that was his best friend decided to spare him a grizzly fate between glistening fangs and bounded off into the darkness. What he had seen didn’t satisfy the logical connections in his brain for the edges had been frayed and the synapses between nerves had stopped functioning. Being subject to a body horror show that wasn’t being done by any special effects had been macabre in the least; traumatizing if he let his mind fully process it; and incomprehensible if he let his brain run by scientific evidence get its way. Yes, his mind was being rather hypocritical—there was denying what his eyes had seen and what his ears had heard. Flesh contorting; fur sprouting; muffled grunts of pain playing the part of pitiful background music and even had the agonized expression of someone you loved to complete the picture. That was no illusion...no staged act. There was no denying that…

That…

_Erik wasn’t human._

The evidence was there, laid out so prettily yet horrifying all the same, but he was still having trouble accepting a truth that was hard to believe and induced so much fear in him. Erik was a werewolf. His best friend was a werewolf. The _boy he loved was a werewolf._ Glassy hazels closed as Leiss let out a shaky breath, searching for that composure he depended on and needed yet finding that it eluded him like the plague. A part of him wanted to pretend that this whole afternoon didn’t happen, like it was all just a bad dream. His body reminded him that looking away wouldn’t be tolerated, chancing a quick glance to the wrist elevated slightly that was all types of swollen and discolored, a matched set to the flesh hidden behind a scarf. It hurt, but it didn’t compare to the pain in his heart and the strangeness of this new reality.

Sucking in a breath, suddenly craving the solitude of his own room, the blond eyed the set of stairs that would lead him to where he wanted to be, feeling that this stretch would be the longest. This was only true because of the light coming from a room right across for it, filling him with a sense of dread. Father was home—as he has been for a good amount of days now, his mood distinctly more somber and a touch sour than the norm. Dancing around him had become a well-choreographed act; interacting only around dinner and when need be and never intentionally if he could help it. Leiss had wanted to ask how his trip to visit the Church of Constantinople had been but he didn’t want to open that can of worms judging from the warning bells he had grown accustomed too. Normally, if his trip had produced favorable results, than his father was a bit more accommodating. Other than that...you danced around it.

But there would be no escape this time. The doors had been rolled open, a telltale sign that his father probably wanted to talk to him. Fleetingly, he humored turning out the door but the flash of a snarling muzzle seared through his brain and he cringed. Admittedly, he hadn’t acknowledged those familiar, forest-green hues that had been shared between beast and man. Or how those eyes softened in their wild viciousness as a huge, lithe body crawled towards him beseechingly, _apologetically—_

Leiss grit his teeth and made his way for the stairs.

“Leiss, a moment of your time if you don’t mind.”

Tonight was definitely not his night.

Already dragging out a mental excerpt of _Othello_ by Shakespeare to have something his mind could latch onto and draw comfort from, the blond changed direction and stepped inside the warmly lit room. A couple of bookshelves lined with historical and biblical nonsense (if he wanted to be honest) covered each section of the walls with christian souvenirs or artifacts acting as decor as they littered the room. A fireplace with a well-maintained rapier hung over the mantle as the fire’s light bounced off the blade, highlighting latin text that he oft forgotten the meaning of. Two desks occupied the room, one the stand for a map of the world and the other decorated more personally. Everything was so meticulous that if you tested for dust with your finger, it would come back pristine.

Loathe be the one who left fingerprints.

“Good evening, father.” Greeted the weary blond in the respectful, if not mildly clipped tone he reserved for his father, already feeling his insides twist with anxiety. “You wanted to talk…?”

Joseph Callaghan was seriously the type of person who looked as if he was a man that had never once smiled in his life, as if his facial muscles would spasm from the effort of even trying to. Those eyes were the same as his own but they lacked any distinction of warmth for as long as Leiss could remember save for those rare moments when something hinted of its presence before it was engulfed in its staple aloofness. He was thankful he wasn’t some type of carbon copy of the man, or at least grateful he was saved from going down that path by Erik’s random intervention into his life.

The mere thought of Erik made his heart twist but he was careful to hide any physical shows of emotion lest they be preyed upon by the other wolf in the room. The man devoured any perceived weakness like a snack and was even quicker to berate you for it, especially if you happened to be his son.

Leiss mentally grimaced.

“I received an interesting call from your school today… It said you were involved in an incident. Is this true?” Questioned Joseph looking up from his tablet to fix Leiss with a reserved expression, eyes inadvertently being drawn to the awkwardly suspended wrist. A single eyebrow rose in inquiry as disapproval waited in the background.

Lying wouldn't do any good here; he's lied to his father one time in his life and the results hadn’t been worth it to make him repeat that mistake ever again. Instead, you learn to tell half-truths or simply not to say the whole thing. Of course both options were dead in this situation—he already learned what he should know from a third party. Any fabrications would be torn apart.

“Yes it is. I became a part of an altercation due to helping out a friend.”

“Hmm…,” the acknowledgement was quiet, contemplative as he gestured to Leiss to come closer before taking his wrist with careful fingers, casually dismissing any signs of pain or discomfort as one would easily discard junk mail. “Admirable as it is to stand up for the weaker man, it wasn’t your place to interfere.”

Leiss really wasn’t in the mood for his father's “the strong devour the weak” ideology but he could do nothing more than grit his teeth as his father studied his wrist. Still, it would be rude to not answer and dangerous not to appease the man with some type of acquiesce. “Yes of course, father.”

Silence drifted between them for an uncomfortable amount  of time as Joseph finished his small examination of Leiss’s injury, advising his son to simply keep any weight off it and get a ice pack to help reduce the swelling and numb the pain. As he was turning to bid as he was told, the man spoke again, his words chilling the very blood in the teenager’s viens:

“I heard Adolphus was involved as well. I gave you the chance to be more forthcoming with the details but as usual, anything involving that... _boy_ admonishes your better judgement. Second chances are rare opportunities, so I wouldn't waste this.”

It would have been a miracle if he actually got away with what was the equivalent of a slap on the wrist but that wasn’t in the stars for him this time. Heartbeat escalating to one of mild panic but face the perfect example of calm and collected, Leiss turned around and gave his father his full attention. Both equally reserved and so alike in looks, that an observer would barely be able to differentiate between the two. He knew better to look the man in the eye and instead focused on the area at his shoulder, trying to find the best way to broach a sensitive topic. Any mentions of his friend sent the man’s temper flying through the roof, which was hypocritical considering he was the one wanting the information. Whatever. The encroaching argument was inevitable.

He sighed mentally.

_“Rude am I in my speech, And little blessed with the soft phrase of peace.”_

When it came to his father, peace be damned.

“Erik,” because that is also his name, “assisted me. If his timely intervention had been a second too late, I would probably be in the hospital.” A bare bones proclamation of truth but it was the truth nonetheless. Yet in his father’s eyes that might as well have been a declaration of war going from how the flames of animosity was fanned to life. The blonde braced himself, anxiety creeping in the background.

“Why would you need his help? He is beneath you. To accept any form of assistance from him is the greatest shape of weakness.” Joseph sat his tablet down, folding his fingers together across his stomach as if he was restraining himself back. “He is beneath you and we don’t interact with his kind. I’ve told you this time and time again—my tolerance for this has grown exceptionally thin. You would do well to mind your father for once. _”_

_What?_

Leiss didn’t know whether to be surprised or offended by the bigotry his father just spewed with the ease of one pouring a glass of water, the rising of his brow the only showing of weakness in his facade. _His kind?_ What the hell did he mean by that? No...it wasn’t possible was it? Did his father know…? No of course not. If he did, he would have never allowed him to interact with Erik in the first place. Was it a form of racism of some kind? His father wasn’t a documented racist—he seemed to hold people on the same indifferent pedestal who wasn’t a hardcore, by-the-book Christian. And he didn’t seem to really care what kind of backgrounds his other friends came from...just Erik. Odd. But he stopped wondering about the inner mechanisms of his father’s brain when the man told him that only the faithful will survive God’s righteous crusade to perish all the heathens in the world when he was eight.

Yeah...crazy right?

“I don’t understand why his help is any different than anyone else's.” Leiss’s brain was saying _does not compute_ but he had the decency to not look as incredulous as he felt.

Once again, Joseph appeared disappointed. Correction, it had never left, but was more prominent now the more they grew in depth on this topic. “Because he is an inferior being.”

Leiss really didn’t appreciate the matter-of-fact tone that accompanied that insulting statement, biting his tongue lest he said something that would send him to an early grave. “What makes him any different than anyone else? Father, I’ve never understood your distaste for him. I really think it's...unfair.”

“Unfair? _Unfair?”_ Joseph voice increased in volume spontaneously as he rose from his seat, blindsiding his son who took a step back cautiously if not a little fearfully. There was a mad fury in his eyes, like compromise would be impossible and anything he said would be engulfed in a fiery torrent. “It’s unfair that I’ve had to suffer his presence around you for years just because he was the only person you befriended. As aloof as you believe me to be my son, I do have  a paternal investment in your feelings but at the sametime, I have a responsibility to make sure your not taken down the wrong path. And he will drag you down; I guarantee it. I’ve let your relationship carry on long enough but I admit my folly for even allowing it take root in the first place. Because now terminating it may be painful.”

“Terminating…? Father you can’t possible mean—” Sirens blared blindlingly in his brain as it was a breath away from shutting down. No, he couldn’t allow this. His father was out of his mind if he thought for one second he would terminate his relationship with Erik. Whatever was left of it that is. “I’m not...I’m not ending my relationship with him. He’s my best friend, father. If you said you had a vested interest in my feelings then you must know—”

“Mind your tongue, boy,” warned the older male, taking a step forward till he was looking down into rebellious hazels so like his own. “You're  forbidden to interact with that boy anymore, do you understand?”

_Yes, father_ almost slipped past his lips instinctually but his mind screamed at him at the last second, defiance igniting within every corner of his being. He would not allow his father to take this from him. He could not. “No I don’t. You cannot tell me who I get to interact with or not. He is my best friend and he will remain as such until we decide otherwise.”

Wary amber hues caught the twitch of fine-boned fingers and he braced himself from any type of violence, surprised when his father merely scoffed and reclaimed his seat, wearing an expression of disgust. “You will heed my words whether you want to or not. But at the moment, your presence offends me. I didn’t raise you to be so...imbecilic but I suppose I must acknowledge my own nurturing mistakes. Now if you would so kindly get out of my sight, I can accomplish some work.”

Kindest way to say _get the fuck out_ that he ever heard, but Leiss didn’t complain, merely blinked in acknowledgment and made his way up to his room, feeling his nerves start to get the best of him. That hadn’t been a disaster—no, of course not.

That had been a _catastrophe_.

Remscinet of a few days time, Leiss found himself once again leaning against the cool wood of his door, struggling to not let himself succumb to the full weight of today’s events. He just wanted to turn off his brain, forget everything, and rest. But that snarling, wolf visage refused to leave him and he found his face in his hands, body trembling, knowing that an anxiety attack was just around the corner. His father forbade him from seeing Erik—and he actually denied his father. It was so against his nature to do so. He was the most non-confrontational person when it came to that man but he actually...jeez. Maybe his father was actually right; when it came to Erik, his way of thinking changed.

But Erik was…

Erik isn’t…

_He wasn’t human._

Did it really matter though? All this time, he hadn’t been privy to the knowledge or even humored such an outrageous possibility so why would it make a difference now? Why did it matter that his friend could turn into a man-eating(?), monster canine? Certainly, with this whole revelation, some things were beginning to make sense or finally having some frame of reference to base Erik’s numerous behavioral quirks and hobbies. That is if you were going off every stereotypical fiction that was in the market.

Hyperactive with an outlet channeled through sports?

Check.

Unquestionably devoid of a stomach with a penchant for meat?

Check.

Had wild tendencies and semi-intolerance for authority when he was at his best?

Check...oh make that a double check.

Not that his newly revealed nature was a reason for Erik being who he is, Leiss just found it a little strange to know a part of what made Erik how he is was due to his dual nature. But what did that mean for the both of them? He didn’t know. He was still trying to come to terms with it, digest it really. But it was proving to be rather troublesome with his mind and his heart in such conflict with each other.

And he was tired.

Like really freaking tired.

So he fell ungraciously onto his bed, buried his face into a pillow and mentally recited a piece of doggerel from an old nursery rhyme till his eyes gave up, closing out this abnormality of a day.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

_“Sooooo, let me get this straight: your friend has some like super, life-altering disease that causes him to spaz out regularly and endanger the lives of those around him?”_

“Your wording is a little off but you got the gist of it.”

_“And...you found this out yesterday after years of being friends correct?”_

“Yes.”

_“And...just to be clear, we are totally not talking about Adolphus, correct?”_

“Of course not. This is a hypothetical situation, Amanda.”

_“Right. Of course. Your hypothetical friend that is in no shape or form your silly jock friend. Gotcha.”_

Leiss resisted the urge to force his head through the leathery material of his steering wheel as he sighed in a drained fashion into his headphones, listening to what sounded like sizzling in the background. Trust his good friend not to humor what he was trying to establish with his hypothetical situation (a kind of ignorant peace of mind thing) and relate it back to the person he was having some form of issues with.

It was a rather nice Saturday afternoon and he had spent the majority of it hidden away in his room like a caveperson while awaiting the most opportune time to flee. He had humored escaping through his window but it was a foolish idea for a couple of reasons. Heights and him didn’t do very well—he didn’t have acrophobia or anything like that mind you. His body just became questionably clumsy when faced with a significant amount of feet from the ground. He often left the spider-monkey things to Erik when his friend had snuck over on more than one occasion, making it look easy as he smirked through the window, all adrenaline and recklessness. Made more sense now why he was able to do such things but that was neither here or there… Regardless, as wonderful a salve of ointment and ice was to his injury, his wrist wasn’t particularly fanciful of daring such a thing. Even now, it had pulsed in protest during his whole journey to his destination, which happened to be that italian restaurant that he liked.

Libreating his car from the front of his best friend’s house had been a particularly daunting and stressful task, and he had dreaded it as much as escaping his room. But he needed ole’ Nick back—he was the easiest way to escape that madhouse. Oddly enough, not a single soul had been in Erik’s house, but the blond didn’t think much of it. He just took his car and drove off, aimlessly for a while before feeling a tad bit lonely. Somehow he ended up calling Amanda and fabricating a PG version of yesterday events minus all the supernatural stuff, despite her tone of voice and line of questioning giving voice to her suspicions that he wasn’t giving the whole truth again. Thankfully she didn’t press too much, but trying to focus on the details that he was comfortable with sharing. The whole ordeal made him hungry—talking to her did that sometimes. So he found himself back at this place again.

Oh, and he had forgotten his sweater here too.

“Look, I don’t know what to do,” as he admitted this over the phone, he placed his car into park and allowed himself to relax, lines of stress wrinkling his brow.

A clang of something metallic followed by a pained“ow” was heard before he got his next response, the voice sounding more annoyed than it was five seconds ago. _“About what?”_

“My friend.”

_“You mean Erik?”_

“No, my hypothetical friend,” insisted the blond with a touch of desperation, drawing a _tsk’ing_ sound from the other side of the phone. “I’m just…a little confused.”

_“About...what?”_ She reiterated for the sake of relaying her lack of understanding, confusion apparent in her tone. _“He’s still your friend isn’t he? Nothing's changed has it? So what if he has some type of incurable disease? I mean it isn’t contagious is it?”_

Leiss coughed, embarrassed. “It’s more like a condition than a disease...and I don’t think it's transferable, no.”

Amanda snorted and he pictured a roll of the eyes to accompany it. _“Then what’s the problem? Are you mad he hid it from you? Is it hurting you in any type of way? Maybe his circumstances prevented him from telling you till that moment. Maybe he was embarrassed about it? Hell if we know. Just go ahead and talk to him and stop running away from the problem. He’s still Erik isn’t he? Seriously, shoo. You called me when I was trying to cook bacon...and it burned.”_

“All that cholesterol and fat will clog your blood vessels.”

_“Goodbye, Doctor Know-It-All,”_ she said with extra emphasis before the line went dead, leaving the blond to further ruminate on the advice he was just given.

_He’s still Erik isn’t he?_

Sea-green eyes, wild and tempered by an apologetic softness embedded in a furry face.

Those was his eyes. The same ones he loved far longer than he could count.

Yes, he was still Erik deep in his core, just with a furry outer layer, right?

The answer remained yet to be found and he wasn't going to sulk about it in his car. If he was going to sulk, at least let it be over a meal where he can drown his miserable thoughts in food, pushing the door open carefully while adjusting his scarf as he made his way inside. It was Saturday so the place wouldn’t be more busy till the evening. Peace and quiet would be a luxury he couldn’t afford if he had escaped a little later.

Finding a secluded booth near a window in a quiet corner, Leiss made himself comfortable and dismissed the pang in his heart upon looking across from him and finding the seat empty. His phone seemed rather silent too.

When did silence become so painful?

“ _Buon pomeriggio!_ It looks like you have something on your mind, _mio amico._ ”

Startled at the familiar voice, Leiss was graced with the polite visage of the waiter that had served them the last time they had been here. Dark hair done in a ponytail with a couple of strands to dangle purposely betwixt equally dark eyes, Sergio seemed to appear out of nowhere, his appearance completely without sound. Leiss factored that to having being sucked into his thoughts, so he put on a watery smile of his own which didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Yes...something like that. I’m sorry, were you ready to take my order?”

Amusement flickered briefly in those dark hues as the corner of his mouth twitched to reflect said enjoyment. Leiss just realized he was divested of his formal waiter attire and was dressed casually, prompting him to open his mouth to rescind his former statement only to be cut off politely.

“Normally I would but it's actually my day off. Granted, I like to spend time here even when I’m not working.”

The blond’s brows furrowed. “Dedicated to your work are you?”

“Oh don’t misunderstand, _amico._ I simply like to people watch. And people are rather interesting over a plate of food or when just generally enjoying themselves.” As he said this, he gestured to the empty spot across from the other and took a sit once he recievied a courtesy nod of approval. “I see your devoid of the company of your friend. If i was to hazard a guess, he would be the source of your silent introspection.”

A cross between a snort and a chuckle escaped past soft lips, shaking his head in wonder. “Are you normally so good at reading people?”

“Possibly. You can learn a lot of information just from watching people.”

“Hmm…”

The conversation fell off there, only because Leiss was feeling the lull of those darker thoughts brushing seductively over the weary walls of his psyche. _He was still Erik right_? Played ceaselessly like a tirelessly mantra, relentless in its pursuit to drive him to the brick. He was...of course he was. Salviating jaws and bone-crushing teeth didn’t mean anything right? No of course not. His friend was still there underneath the monstrous exterior, still the loveable dumbass down to his core. But why couldn't he relinquish this fear closing around his soul—this sense of terror for the unknown? All this time he had been ignorant to the truth despite priding himself for his skills of observation but would have never considered such a ludicrous truth—

“Keep that up _mi amico_ and you'll dig yourself an early grave. Why don't you eat, hmm?”

Inexplicably was a fully furnished plate of caesar salad in front of his face as he gave his most articulate response of “huh” as acknowledgement. When did that get here? Leiss afforded a compulsory look around to see if a waiter had served him and he had unconsciously ordered. But most were preoccupied, just leaving Sergio and himself secluded in this quiet little corner. Not knowing whether to be appreciative or suspicious, the blond settled for a tired mixture of the two and just attributed it to his brain being exhausted from being pulled in different directions. Werewolves...psychotic fathers...burning bacon...and magically appearing food. Would these last couple of days offer him no respite?

Really, the curious part of himself was tempted to ask his unorthodox guest how his food got here but he wisely kept his mouth occupied by taking a couple of bites. You would think the last statement the guy just said had implied rather directly that he could tell the direction his thoughts had been taking right? I mean its logical right? But to be able to do that would also imply that A) he could read minds or B) he was seriously good at reading people. So Leiss, unsurprisingly picked the latter option—the most logical one.

His brain couldn’t take anymore supernatural...possibilities.

Oddly enough, the blond was fast enough to witness the barest flicker of emotion pass through smiling eyes but it disappeared without a trace. Furrowing his brow, Leiss chewed his food thoroughly before opening his mouth, “Hypothetically speaking, if your friend was a supernatural wolf monster and you just found out yesterday after years of knowing each other, how would you react?”

Surprisingly, Sergio didn't react in a way that said “the-person-I’m-talking-to-is-a-crazy-person” but rather in a way that hinted at a little intrigue and a strange, macabre amusement. “Depends… I suppose it would finally make sense about that wet dog smell.”

The blond coughed ever so politely.

Sergio held up his hands peaceably, the corners of his lips twitching as his tone was apologetic, “ _Mie scuse;_ I didn't mean any offense. But to answer your question, I suppose...I wouldn't react at all. He is still the same person, no?”

_He’s still Erik, right?_

Leiss gently placed his utensils down, shoulders trembling slightly as he resisted the urge to laugh.

_Well duh._

How many times did he have to hear it to finally accept that? Really, such useless repetition of the same fact was unlike him and he was genuinely embarrassed. Surprising and unsuspecting as the truth had been, it really didn't need to make a difference to their relationship. Erik was still Erik, furry or not. And he...well he was the still boy in love with him right?

“Quite right.”

“How are you—,” the question died on his tongue the moment he looked up with a suspicious quirk to his brow and an investigative tone to his voice only to find the seat across from him divested of its occupant. Instead, the only indication that it had been occupied at all was a single napkin with black ink on it.

_Food's on me, amico. Don't think too much. And make sure you don't leave your sweater this time, si?_

_-Sergio_

Quietly, jaw clenched impossibly tight and face paler than it ought to be, the blond grabbed his sweater that had not been next to him milliseconds ago and left.

When did the world get so impossibly complicated?

 

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

 

Sunday brings with it new resolve and a reaffirmed desire to get out of his house. Leiss was becoming ever more fatigued with having to tread lightly over the minefield that was his father. And his anxiety medication was looking alarmingly empty faster than his prescription would be refilled. It was like the man was just waiting for an excuse or an opening to accoust him or something. And he wasn’t being figurative about this or exaggerating—the man didn’t work being that he was some type of retired veteran. Which branch he had served remained a mystery to him because he dared not ask. Inquires about his father he learned at a tender young age was best avoided if you didn’t want to be punished for pursuing the knowledge. He didn’t know why his father was so secretive, but he learned not to care and not to ask questions. By doing so, this behavior was equally returned and his father was rather hands-off about his life save to ask if he was maintaining his grades every now and then. Other than that was his atypical aloofness as he holed himself up in his study doing whatever he did in there.

Really his relationship with his father was a rather harrowing thing and an even more grim thing to watch. Erik had believed it to be plain creepy and was loathe to watch them interact the rare times his father and himself was in the same space together because he oft wanted to strangle the guy for treating his son so indifferently. For a long time, Leiss didn’t understand why it bothered his friend so until he witnessed how severely different his interaction with his father was compared to how Erik’s familial interaction was. Said interactions were completely on two different ends of the spectrum and he had begun to realize that maybe his relationship wasn’t entirely right. What did it matter anyway?

After all, he was perhaps 17 years too late to address his dad about it? Should they toss a ball back in forth in the backyard and laugh cheesily into the sunset?

No. Definitely not.

Regardless, his creed has always been “ _Honor thy father and mother”_ minus the mother part (didn’t have one) and he did his best to uphold that, despite it suffusing his heart with painful emotion every time he acquiesced to his father’s questionable desires.

And why was he thinking about all of this?

Maybe because he had been standing in front of Erik’s house after ringing the bell twice. When unengaged for about seven minutes or so, your mind tended to wonder. Strange how his brain went to that ugly topic. Apparently his brain had a sense of humor.

“Oh, it's you Leiss. How may I help you today?”

Opening the door wearing a baseball cap with a jersey to go with it was Darryl Foster, Erik’s stepfather. The man was of average height and shared the same features of the rest of his kids (excluding Erik of course). If Leiss wanted to use Erik’s description of the man he gave over dinner one day it would probably be summed up in one word: “generic”. Did his best friend actually use that word to describe his stepparent? Of course he did without the slightest bit of regret. He complained the man was your typical, white-collared, working-class citizen who provided for his family with his good job and strove to take vacations a lot of the time to strengthen the “family bond”. And because he put bread on the table, that made him the uncontested man of the house. Something that his friend had issues with for whatever strange reason that only existed to Erik. It was hilarious and baffling really. Leiss’s observations of the man agreed with his friend’s description of course (he would never admit this out loud though) but that shouldn’t have been a problem. The man was nice to a fault if not a little corny and laughed at his own jokes. But for whatever reason, Erik and him had friction between them—and not from Darryl’s side. It was all Erik. He just reacted poorly to the man, challenging him whenever and taking pleasure over any completely friendly contest. Video games, sports, game shows...you name it.

Despite all this, Darryl still tried his damndest to get along with his stepson and supported him as much as possible. The guy was pretty cool, but you couldn’t tell Erik that without getting some type of curl of the lip or growl of distaste.

Made sense now why those were his type of reactions...kind off.

Realizing he had been lost in thought for an embarrassing amount of time, Leiss cleared his throat and resumed a polite smile, mindlessly smoothing out the non-existent wrinkles in his grey shirt. “Hello Mr. Foster. I just came to visit Erik today since he's doing his “not-answering-the-phone” thing again. Is he in?”

Something about what he said caused the man’s forehead to crinkle as his eyes filled with a curious sympathy, stepping a little outside the door. “Didn’t he tell you? Erik already left to his new school.”

_Wha…_

_What?_

Dumbfounded, the blond could do little more than stare stupidly at the man as he struggled to form words, his short-circuiting brain refusing to come back online. “P-Pardon?”

The sympathey in that dark-brown gaze deepened and that made Leiss stomach churn with irritation. Thankfully, the man saw fit to elaborate a little more, perhaps sensing the incoming hyperactivity from the blond’s brain. “Erik had to transfer to a new school as consequence for the incident at your school the other day. He was granted accelerated admission because of his school’s desire to have him on their football team as soon as possible. Granted, his school requires him to stay on campus till the weekend if he decides to come back as a requirement for its students.”

“Come...come back?” Echoed the floored blonde faintly, suddenly finding that something to hold onto would be quite nice. The white column acting as support for the house would due as his heart beat painful palpitations in his chest. This was all too...sudden. Erik was gone? Why didn’t he tell him? He didn’t think it prudent enough to tell his best friend—

“Yup!” Darryl saw fit to continue, innocently unconcerned with Leiss state of being as he figured the teenager was just happy for his friend. It was nice being the bearer of good news. “The wife drove him down along with his stuff sometime yesterday to get him acquainted and fill out additional paperwork. I am surprised he didn’t tell you though. Kind of was under the impression you two shared everything. But I suppose that’s what I get for assuming! Nevertheless, I’m pretty sure he’ll be back sometime next weekend so don’t fret.”

This...this was unexpected. Leiss knew expulsion was only a matter of time and relocation to another school was imminent, but a boarding school? He didn’t even know those things existed in Georgia. “Where is this school?”

“Somewhere in Woodcrest, Georgia I believe.”

“That’s...two hours away!” The frantic teen couldn’t prevent some of the dread from leaking into his voice, suddenly desiring to pace, willing his mind to come up with some type of rational explanation of why his best friend was so suddenly far away. It seriously didn’t make sense. There were dozens of schools in this area in the school system of Georgia. Why did he have to go to the one in the middle of nowheresville. It didn’t make any sense and he was at a loss.

_Seriously, what the fuck?_

“You okay, Leiss? Looking kind of pale, kid.”

Wounded, soft hazels flickered at the hand that had appeared on his shoulder in a comforting motion,  politely detaching himself from any further contact as he recomposed himself till he was the cordial teenager again despite the hurricane of emotion and confusion storming within. This was...unforeseen. How could he prepare for this? They’ve been with each other for years and whatever distance between them had been incredibly short-lived. This, however, seemed far more permanent and his heart was lamenting like a drowning banshee.

_“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?”_

Somewhere in the middle of nowhere, his Romeo was lost. Vaguely, he inwardly scoffed at casting himself as Juliet but he wasn’t in the mood for theatrical humor.

Wrapping the scarf tighter about himself (the bruises were beginning to fade thankfully), Leiss cast another smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, but it was convincing enough to placate Mr. Foster. “Thank you for your concern Mr. Foster but I’m quite alright. But I’m going to have to talk to your son about elaborating when it comes to details,” he added that last part jokingly as he turned to leave, earning a goodbye and a wave from the older male. The moment he closed his eyes though was when he had to bite his bottom lip to prevent himself from screaming to the heavens.

Why was everything so messed up lately? Really!

It was puzzling and confusing and he wanted to kill the universe for having some fucked up sense of humor lately. He literally had been as content as he possibly could with loving his not-gay best friend and had already relinquished himself to his fate of unrequited love. Seriously, he had been okay with this (not really) and it was something he had been ready for. But not seeing his friend period unless he does come back for the weekends? Preposterous. Erik didn’t have a car—the reckless idiot wrecked two and his mother refused to let him have another in spite of his stepfather not minding. If he came up, it would have to be by waiting for someone to pick him up. Certainly there wasn’t a bus line there—it was hardly any in Georgia to begin with. And it was two hours away for goodness sake! This was just...the whole reality of the situation was just so unbelievable. The moment he had somewhat come to terms with his friend’s secret and was willing to accept him for who he was, the guy uped and disappeared to the nether regions of this silly state.

And he didn’t have the guile or the decency to tell him anything. _Again._

How hard could it possibly be to call someone to update them on your current situation? Especially your supposed best friend? Certainly not hard if Erik saw fit to till him the most menial things such as when he was about to use the bathroom or how many burgers he was about to stuff into his face? But important things? Most of have been inconceivably difficult for the dumb jock. Granted Leiss was mad (livid really) and upset so his thoughts were probably heavily influenced by those emotions but you couldn’t fault him for feeling this way. And it was draining. He wasn’t far from home but he had to take a seat on a bench, face pressed into his hands, willing away the urge to cry. He hardly ever did; having a robot for a dad kind of sucked the novelty out of such things. But he wanted to.

_He really wanted to._

For the pain inside was like an all consuming void of darkness.

And maybe if he had sat there feeling well... _crappy_ he might have just ignored the melody of _Beethoven's Symphony Number 5_ coming from his pocket. But he was eager for anytype of distraction. However, he could only gawk at the caller ID upon looking at it:

_Kai?_

Would this weekend cease with the surprises? Probably not. But this was a sufficient enough distraction for his mental weariness parted ways for a little ray of curiosity to shine through. It was rare his cousin called—which wasn’t either of their faults respectively.

Answering like the phone was rigged to explode, Leiss ventured cautiously, “Hello…?”

_“Cousin! So you are alive! Hmm, that's good news. I suppose I could cease and decease with the apocalyptic thoughts.”_

The enthusiasm behind that smooth voice was as prominent as always and the sheer delight behind those words caused the corner of his mouth to twitch in the faintest inkling of a smile. But the words themselves  were still a rather odd thing to say. “And why would I be otherwise?”

There was some shuffling on the other line followed by a high-pitched shriek that was quieted by a strict “Quiet. I’m on the phone” in a hushed voice. When next he spoke he sounded apologetic if not a little amused. _“Well because of the incident at your school of course. I know I’m a little late but I’ve been busy the last couple of days—”_

“How did you know about that?” Leiss interrupted, alarmed.

There was a pause before his cousin spoke again, tone still light and joking. _“Uh...because I have supernatural powers?”_

That word (supernatural) was still sensitive to his logically prone mind so he regretted the incensed way he said his next lines immediately, “Mind being just a little bit serious for once? Thanks.”

_“Jeez, calm down. Your uncharacteristically prickly at the moment. But since you're absolutely dying to know, I learned because of...you know...modern technology. TV, internet, Facebook…”_

“It's on Facebook too?” Balked the blond, dismayed.

A peal of laughter came from the other side of the line before it trickled down to little snorts of amusement. _“Don’t be so gullible! Seriously, no its not on Facebook. Not sure about any other social media since I didn’t bother to check but who cares? I saw it on TV. And if I still remember correctly, you don’t watch the news.”_

“You mean that comedy of mindless propaganda? Yeah, I’ll pass.” His reply was automatic and he allowed himself a scowl once he realized he got roped into that which was emphasised by a chuckle. “I’m glad to see you still have your sense of humor.”

_“And I’m glad to see your still yourself,”_ retorted his cousin coolly without missing a beat.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

_“You know your old man is like the crypt keeper.”_

 “You shouldn’t talk about your uncle like that.” He didn’t know why he even allowed himself to feel the slightest bit defensive. Wanting to change the subject lest he go back to darker thoughts, he blinked rapidly when a thought occurred to him. “Hey Kai…”

_“Hmm…?”_ It sounded like his attention had wandered off during that little lapse.

“Your going to school in Woodcrest right?”

Kai made a noise of surprise that he disguised behind a cough. _“Not really in school anymore but I still live there, yeah. What about it?”_

“You mind if I come visit tomorrow?” For once, the thought hadn’t been pre-planned or evaluated in his brain like most things. He was just acting on emotion and it made him admittedly uneasy. But his heart wouldn’t find peace lest he resolved somethings with his best friend. Especially with the appearance of this  insufferable distance between them.

_“Not at all. But don’t you have school? And why the sudden interest?”_

“I…,” Leiss closed his eyes, rephrasing what he had in mind for something more suitable, “The relationship between me and my father have become a bit strained. So I would appreciate a bit of a reprieve. Besides, I think the last time I saw you was like four years ago. And I can afford one day away from school so it's fine.”

_“Not my fault your dad hates the rest of his family! But I get it. So I’ll expect you sometime tomorrow then?”_ There wasn’t any point hiding the edge of excitement in his voice and it made Leiss smile as he cast his eyes upward. When did it get so dark?

“Sure, if you don’t mind.”

_“Just let me know—hey! Put that down this instant! Hey, I gotta go! See you soon!”_

Another high-pitched shriek and the phone clicked, signifying the end of the call. Leiss didn’t have much in the way of spare mental resources to divert to trying to understand what had been taking place on his cousin’s side. The guy was fairly eccentric on some days, reckless on others, and pretty relaxed otherwise. Very fun guy to be around and was damn good at cheering up depressed people. He used to come around more but his father and uncle never got along and they often argued so Joseph kind  of “banished” them from his life like he did everything else. Of course he suffered the most out of it; Kai and himself got along famously well even though the guy was five years older than him. So whatever contact they had to depend on was via phone which was a hassle seeing as he seemed to change phone numbers every six months. Don’t know why—he never thought to ask because he wasn’t sure if the answer would make sense or not.

But enough about his cousin—he’d be seeing him tomorrow and they could play catch up later. Returning home to prep a quick overnight bag should be his focus now.

Once again, it only took him a minute or so before he was walking through his front door, grateful for the closeness between Erik and his house. Yet said gratitude didn’t even have the chance to go into full effect before he went rigid while he was closing the door behind him, sensing the ominous intensity in the atmosphere. Intuition was there for a reason; the hairs on the nape of his neck refused to settle down and his scalp prickled with apprehension. His brain was on high alert but his heart was anxious to find the source of all this discomfort, cautious hazel’s scanning the living room till a source of light had illuminated what he was looking for.

What he saw caused his breath to hitch and his stomach to roll.

Having been waiting patiently for his son’s return, a bottle of Courvoisier Cognac as his only companion, was his father sitting in the reclining chair, thumbing the falcon head of his cane like it was a living breathing thing as opposed to an inanimate object. He had been looking down when he entered but now his alcohol-laced gaze was upon his son who seemed more like prey rather than family. To any other, Joseph still retained his calculating, stoicism. But to Leiss, who has lived with this man for the entirety of his life, he could identify the signs of inebriation in a heartbeat for it was so rare. The steady, restless tapping of his left foot; the almost imperceptible sneer playing at his lips; and the heat that burned behind otherwise frigid amber hues.

Leiss was frightened.

Terrorfied really.

He has personally never been on the end of his father’s alcohol-fueled tantrums, just an observer. And it wasn’t like he was a destructive drunk either—just an unpredictable one. Those were the worst kind in his opinion. But now, all of that unpredictability would be turned on him.

God have mercy on his soul.

“Had a nice day, son?” Jesus the man was wasted, but no one would be able to tell. There was no clumsiness in how he poured himself a glass, no slur in his voice. But he never referred to Leiss as his son so casually. It stoked a new wave of fear in the blond’s body. “You’ve been gone all day.”

“Well I didn’t want to waste a nice Sunday not doing anything.” Not the complete truth per usual but he was relieved to see the man merely let it go with a grunt, holding his pristine glass filled to the brim with a bronze liquid to sip with his lips.

“I wish to speak with you about your friend—the Adolphus boy.” The name was punctuated with the sound of glass meeting wood as he placed his beverage back, his cane coming to lean almost entirely against his lap now.

Leiss did his best not to appear as fearful as he felt, keeping it together remarkably well despite the situation. For now at least. “About what, father?”

“About what indeed.” Joseph rose from his seat rather fluidly, prompting his son to take an unconscious step back, something meancing about him, something wrongfully gleeful in those topaz eyes. “Your friend possess some odd behavioral quirks from time-to-time yes?”

“I suppose that could be said for everyone father.” The silent _what’s your point_ hadn’t been said, knowing minding his tongue was more important than ever right now.

That burning gaze fixed him with such intensity that the impertinence that had been ghosting in his tone shriveled to nothing. “Do you want to know why? Your friend isn’t human Leiss—he’s a monstrosity. That Adolphus boy is a werewolf.”

_Silence._

Time seemed to slow to a painful crawl and all Leiss could really do was blink uncomprehendingly at his father like what he said didn’t fit the stern countenance that he known all his life. Of course he knew all this information to be true since a couple of days ago but how did his father know? Luckily enough, Leiss was smart enough to school his paling visage into one of incredulity and disbelief, knowing that what his father said wasn’t normal at all. But coming from him it sounded like everyday fact.

“Werewolves don’t exist. How could he possibly—”

“I didn’t raise you in idiocy boy! Use your brain. You know that... _thing_ is a lot different from your other friends. If anything, I should have made the connections faster. I knew he wasn’t human from the start, but what type of non-human I didn’t have a clue. I suppose I’ve grown senile from my years of... _inactivity.”_ His voice took on a note solemn disquiet, his words seemingly more for himself than the other occupant of the room who growing steadily more confused. The man shook his head, expression darkening. “I’ve raised you to hail facts and evidence as truth before making any conclusions. So i present to you...evidence of your friends inhumanity.”

A manilla envelope was revealed as he opened the draw to the end table, carefully arranging its contents in a arcing line for Leiss to see. What he saw made his stomach churn with nausea.

Pictures. Inside that envelope had been high definition pictures of disemboweled, mauled people in various states, as if they had been ripped apart by beast. There wasn’t any rhyme or reason to it; no specific target based on gender, race, or any other distinction. But supposedly the ones that drew his attention, the ones that caused him to pick up the pictures were of the ones where he recognized the victims. They were the ones from Friday at the school fight. Fortunately they hadn’t been mauled but they appeared to be in terrible physical condition nonetheless as they lay motionless in the hospital. Erik did this to those boys, but he didn’t do that to those other people.

Right?

“How...did you get those?” Asked the blond after he seen enough, trying to purge himself of flashes of red and viscera.

Joseph waved, like the question was inconsequential. “That boy is a monster. And I haven’t been able to see it because of the care that went into trying to hide his true nature. But I see it now.”

“Father, Erik wouldn’t have done this. He isn’t the monster you think he is,” Leiss spoke with a desperation that surprised him, but his heart refused to believe what he saw. Because his best friend wasn’t a killer. The boy he loved was a monster yes. But he was by no means a killer.

“You speak with a surety that is questionable,” groused the man with an arched brow, supporting his weight calmly on his cane. “Don’t you find it odd how your friend would disappear or miss school on the days leading up to the full moon?”

“He’s always been like that ever since—”

“You’ve known him yes?” There was that frightening glee again, and Leiss closed his eyes, knowing his defenses were futile. “He’s strong isn’t he? Unnaturally so sometimes? Don’t you find that a cause for alarm? That boy...no that _thing_ is a monster. And you will have nothing to do with him. I will deal with him accordingly—”

“What? Deal with him...how?” There was an unspeakable amount of dread behind each and every syllable backed with the sudden dryness in his throat, a dread for what his father may be capable off.

Again that amber-eyed gazed stared at him with a cold reproach. “Execute him, of course. Don’t play the fool Leiss.” As he said this, he turned to take another sip of his drink, the shadow cast by his back daunting.

“Father, that would be murder! You can’t!” Even as he said this, even as the raw agony bled into his voice, Joseph Callaghan just ignored his son denials in favor of his drink. Desperate and having lost a quite a bit of his composure, Leiss quoted in a hushed voice, “‘ _You shall not murder’,_ right father?”

The reaction was instantaneous, faster than Leiss could comprehend as one moment his dad’s back was turned and the next the cold metal head of his father’s cane was pressed painfully into his chest as he was pinned to the wall. The man’s legendary stoicism was gone and its place was hellfire incarnate as the man seethed rage. And when he spoke, his voice was as cold as death and unequally unforgiving:

“If you _ever_ quote the ancient text against me again, I will break every bone in your body and feed the pieces to you. Understand?”

There was a grim satisfaction about causing his father to react in such a way, but it was smothered in muted terror as he stared transfixed at the man that raised him. A father shouldn’t ever say such a thing to their child right? No of course not. Because his father meant every word of the threat and that pained him more than he would like to admit. Yet...his father also threatened to take away something that he loved dearly. And that...well he couldn’t have that. But how do you stop a bull from charging at its target? How do you keep a shark from its prey once it scented blood?

“If i have to repeat myself, you _won’t_ like the repercussions.” As he said this, the head of the cane seemed to stab deeper into his sternum, causing the teenager’s breath to become painful with each expansion of his chest. But it wasn’t the pain that caused a tear to roll down his cheek or lack of self-preservation that caused him to say these next words:

“I love him, father.”

The weight left his chest instantly and he came to rub the point of contact as he coughed weakly, cringing at how the man that raised him regarded him. Abject horror was first and foremost; followed by equal measures of disgust and disbelief. But the one that bothered him beyond all else was the terrible betrayal in similar orbs. Like...like his words had caused the man a terrible, untreatable wound. Leiss hadn’t been expecting that one and he didn’t know why he found himself stepping towards the man with an almost apologetic expression, voice weakly pleading, “Father, listen—”

“ _Don’t call me that_.”

Leiss abruptly closed his mouth, eyes wide.

The man stared at him in disgusted rage, like the sight of him was the most offensive thing on the planet. “How could...how could you? My...child, the boy I raised carrying such...such _taint_! For a monster no less! Its abominable! An affront to the lord!” Joseph voice was increasing in volume as the alcohol fueled more of his rage-induced rant, something dangerous in his stance, something violate. “That monstrosity...yes—that’s it. He stole my child from me...corrupted him. Unacceptable! I cannot allow this. _You,”_ the word was spat with such hatred, such powerful repulsion as he refocused on his stunned son, “ _get out.”_

_“_ Father—”

“ _Get out of my house you vile creature and never return!_ Or so help me I will smite you where you stand.”

Leiss didn’t even blink nor look back as he escaped out of that house from his murderous father, having nothing on his person but his phone, anxiety medication, and wallet. He ran till that house was out of sight and his chest was fit to bursting; not from the run but from pure unadulterated fear. God those eyes...his father truly would have killed him if he stayed. And he didn’t have anywhere to go either—or any mode of transportation since he had been basically banished from his home. Drunk or not, his father  didn’t say meaningless things. Never return meant never return. So in short:

He was homeless as of now.

Yet despite the trauma he went through (and was still going through) his mind was already telling his fingers to pull out his phone and dial a rather specific number. It gave him the words to feed his mildly, trembling voice and the courage to say what must be said:

“Hey Kai...I need your help, please.”

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I got this out faster than last time so thats good. Its a little shorter but I hope you guys still enjoy it! Just let me your feelings in the comments!

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_“Throw me to the wolves and I’ll return leading the pack.”_ **_— Unknown_**

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Woodcrest Georgia was a lot bigger than he thought. That didn’t mean he liked it though.

Scoffing, already ill-tempered, like someone had rubbed his fur the wrong way, Erik let the curtain fall back over the window previewing the town, turning towards his mother who was getting herself together, the very epitome of discomfort.

She’s been like that since they arrived yesterday—hell even before that when they had been but an hour away from the town. And it wasn’t so much of a town really; it was a conglomerate of moderate sized towns that were about a good 30 minutes away from each other give or take. Not to say he had much time—or opportunity to look when his mother kind of shepherded him to the nearest hotel and told him to wait there while she took care of everything. Of course he protested and rebelled (half-hearted as it was) but she shut him down before he even had an inkling of hope. Her orders were strict and meant to be adhered to without question:

“Don’t leave this room.”

No if’s, and’s, or but’s. Not even if the place caught fire or walls came crashing down. He wasn’t meant to leave and if he wanted to keep his head between his shoulders, it was best he obeyed. So he did (reluctantly) and spent the better part of Saturday on a stiff mattress playing video games on his phone.

Erik ignored the fact how his heart nearly burst out of his chest everytime his eyes scanned over Leiss’s name and the lack of messages.

Well of course; it was over wasn’t it? 

Scaring your best friend (more accurately to probably say scarred for life) didn’t have any outcome that ended with their relationship remaining intact, no matter how many times he tried to hope in his heart or allow his brain to fool him. The stark, raw fear and sheer disbelief in those hazels had been enough to ram a sword in his soul and rent it in two from the magnanimous amount of pain he felt under that gaze. Or when Leiss couldn’t even bare to look at his monstrous form for it was so horrifying. Was he truly so repulsive? Even when he had been crawling with his belly along the dirt, submissive,  _ pleading _ —had he truly been so disgusting to be beheld? It wasn’t like Erik stuck around to find the answer to that question; he had fled the moment he caused his best friend pain. He had fled because he couldn’t bare endangering the other because he couldn’t control himself.

No matter how much he screamed in unison with the beast inside that it was wrong.

_ So wrong. _

But he was a coward, already feeling like he ruined everything out of sheer lack of impulse control and better forethought. Reap the consequences of what you sow...no matter how mind-numbingly painful it was. Erik had returned home with something distinctly missing behind his normally burning eyes and a gaping hole in his heart to accompany it  

Yet that was now in the past, and his concentration (as fleeting as it was) was centered on this strange present. 

Seriously being left to his own devices for the good part of Saturday had been both a boon and a bane all at once. For one thing, he finally was able to have some space away from his mother whom interaction with had been strenuous at best. He didn’t know if he had forgiven her yet for yanking him out of one life to place him in another. Perhaps if he had been more logically prone he would have seen the rationalism of her decision being the best one due to the... _ uniqueness _ of his situation. But he wasn’t so he was still upset with her. And that gave life to awkwardness for the duration of a two hour car ride. She tried to engage him of course but there wasn’t much to work with when the other party kind of grunted at you or made some other noncommittal noise.

Yeah, sorry mom. Well, not really.

Regardless, Teresa had gotten more tense as they approached this new place, with it reaching the pinnacle once they arrived. He didn’t understand why; with how abruptly she found the nearest hotel, he barely got a chance to see if the place was alive or not. And the smell...well it was the most curious smell he had ever encountered. He...he had wanted to chase it, corner it, for it had been drifting in the air itself, this comely scent. But he had been ushered urgently inside where he was once again separated away from the beckoning of a world he knew naught of.

Not that he cared...but still.

Erik had been bored after his mother was gone for hours, perking up when she returned with the smell of food in hand. She seemed frazzled, estranged when she returned and this alarmed him, beckoned this weird calling to comfort her. When he questioned her, she replied in a strange, off-handed manner that it had been “taken care off”. The specifics he had not been privy too, but there was no explaining this sudden anxiety in his stomach. So he spent the latter part of Saturday casually questioning his mother who deflected every attempt with equal amounts of casualness till it grew too dark and she snarled a warning dismissal with a flash of teeth.

He didn’t challenge that (he wanted to) for the sake of preserving the peace so he let it go...for now.

So here they were, getting ready to check out of the hotel, with the hopeful perspective of maybe seeing a bit more of...well,  _ anything _ really. 

They gave the card key back to the receptionist who had been treating them with a stiff (hostile if he really wanted to go there) regardance and seemed even more tense at their departure. She smelled like...well, like  _ them _ , but different. It had brought a surge of new emotions and strange desires in him but he staved it off by pulling his headphones over his ears, hoping to drown it out in the sea of loud rock.

“Ready?” Prompted his mother with an edge to her voice when they got in her van.

Erik frowned, noticing something was off. “Where’s my stuff?”

Her eye twitched and she smoothed a stray hair back in place, trying to smile despite the obvious fact she felt differently. “Don’t worry about it. Your stuff has already been taken to your dorm room.”

“Dorm…?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

The conversation ended like that even with sea-green hues giving the purposely indifferent parent the most inquisitive of stares. Erik kept that up for as long as his attention span could hold it (approximately three minutes) before his stare drifted to outside the car window. There were people of course—everyday, normal people walking around and going about their daily lives. He didn’t really know why he was expecting wolves to be running amok and fighting over animal carcasses and such. If he had been more considerate of that side of his heritage, he might’ve felt some guilt at expressing such crude judgement for something he didn’t have any knowledge of. But he didn’t. Nor did he have any feelings of regret about feeling such a way. In spite of this, Erik could hardly stop himself from experiencing some surprise at the fact that everything did seem normal with the only giveaway being the scent. 

And it was actually hard assimilating to it.

All his life he had grown up with the scent of humans which was a composition of smells that didn’t have any really key identifier save for sometimes being sharpened with whatever emotion they were feeling. It grew to the point where his senses stopped identifying it and allowed his brain to recognize it as normalcy, thus allowing him to easier adopt the mindset that he was apart of them. But this scent—this wild, free, feral scent of earth and blood, it was heady and teeming with life, could almost literally feel the texture of it all on his tongue. It sung to his blood, called to him, made the beast inside pace back and forth with repressed longing. Yes this was where he belonged.  _ Yes,  _ this was home—

No, it wasn’t. And it never will be.

Erik bared his teeth in defiance at that line of thought and killed it, clenching his knee as he stubbornly tore his eyes away from the window to look at the front, glancing at his mother. As composed as she wanted to appear to be, Erik could see that this place (or rather the scent) was bothering her too but she seemed more adept at handling it then he.  _ What sort of upbringing did you have, mom  _ he wanted to ask, but knew she would probably never disclose that information. She too seemed neglectful or indisposed towards their wolfish nature. After all, he did learn it from her.

Feeling rather bored after about ten minutes of driving, Erik’s eyes flickered with interest as his mom took them down a dirt road that eventually became paved after a couple of miles, noticing the sudden influx of trees and the disappearance of the town he been staring at. Perhaps she had taken a wrong turn…? Nothing about her expression indicated such a thing though; if anything she seemed to be growing more solemn and resigned as if the car itself was a ferry to death’s door. He opened his mouth to question her, but his breath caught in his throat when the density of the trees lessened a bit.

It was a campus. A huge, stretching campus that went further than the eye could see till you began to wonder if it ever stopped. Yet as expansive as it was, nature still was integrated so naturally into its design that it was as if the construction process hadn’t upturned the land but merely built among what was already there before turning it into this noteworthy piece. The buildings and facilities were sleekly designed and appeared meticulously renovated as if the upkeep of the place was always first and foremost. He couldn’t help but notice there were an extraordinary amount of buildings that looked similar to apartments, wondering if those were the dorms his stuff had been spirited away too.

Erik didn’t know whether to be awed or apprehensive.

He choose neither and decided to be stubbornly pensive as he took on a neutral expression when they drove through an open gate, noticing that there were some teenagers of varying ages gamboling about, doing whatever they deemed fit. It was Sunday so maybe there was no class? Whatever. It didn’t really concern him but he could’ve sworn he saw the flash of a frisbee in his periphery and a brown streak of fur—

Mortified, Erik didn’t look back to confirm what he had seen.

Had that really been another…?

Well, this was supposedly a school for wolves.

Just now understanding the magnomity of such a thing, feeling the inner beast raise its head in response, Erik dug himself further into the leather upholstery of the car, not moving till they found parking on a deck. Another huge accessory to this larger-than-life place but at least this area was devoid of anything save for the quiet presence of cars. A quick, furtive sniff of the air was enough confirmation to this fact. He didn’t know if that was normal or not but he was already getting out of the car, brows furrowing when his mother fixed him with a subdued expression, like something was stuck inside and unwilling to come out.

“So,” Erik broached, rising an eyebrow, “we going to go in or stand around waiting for the grass to grow?”

Teresa pursued her lip before briskly turning away, a sigh leaving her lips. “You’re going to go in. I’m not. Someone should be waiting for you in the reception area.”

This was odd. “Why aren’t you coming?”

“You want me to hold your hand like when you was little boy,” teased his mother affectionately, her tone playful.

“N-No!”

Laughing at how defensive he gotten, something about her sorrowful, Teresa came and wrapped her arms around her embarrassed son, pressing her head against his shoulder. He stilled at this, detecting her sadness in her scent. The inner wolf keened, causing him to swallow drily as a result, not knowing why he suddenly felt compelled to reassure her. “Mom…”

“Erik listen to me…” She took a step back, her face a mask of consternation. “This world you’re about to step into is wild and unforgiving. I know I haven’t prepared you for this and cast shame upon this part of your—no  _ our _ heritage but I have my reasons. Just know I did it for you, so you can be safe. But now,” her voice cracked a little, eyes suddenly glassy, “...now I’m just thrusting you back in. I suppose you can’t run from fate or the past. But I want you to go into this wild new world knowing that I love you and I will be there if you need me. Just stay strong and allow no one to dominate you. For here, in this culture, dominance and strength is everything. Do you understand?”

Something about her speech shook him, dragged the child from deep within his psyche as he gaped at her like a fish out of water, childish and so uncharacteristically unsure. A pup being left by its mother. “I...I…”

“ _ Do you understand?” _

The reiteritation made him stiffen, dragging a stiff nod of affirmation from the teenager. Satisfied, Teresa sat back into the car, leaving the driver-side window open so she could continue to look at her son for a moment. Her precious boy whom she raised from puppyhood, who didn’t know what it meant to be a wolf or what that entitled fully. Her boy who was an Alpha, a born leader and protector, the one that a pack looked to when things needed to get done. Yet Erik didn’t know, and she couldn’t really bring herself to tell him with her disdain for werewolf culture holding her tongue. It was detrimental she knew to hide this information but he would find out soon enough. Once again, she did her best to smile, knowing it was time to say goodbye.

“You need to get going, my dear,” The way she said this implied he was the one at fault for being late to wherever. Regardless, her words were enough to stir him out of whatever stupor he had been in.

“Yeah...okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Be safe.”

Again that wish for safety but Erik dare not inquire as to why she kept saying that, reluctantly turning away so he could find an exit out of this place. Wasn’t hard if he allowed himself to rely on his sense of smell, tasting the air, following where the scent of wolf grew stronger and stronger. A sense of oddity filled him at having to do this, used to relying on more mundane—or rather  _ human _ things to guide him for the sake of maintaining that appearance of normalcy. 

Well, this was going to have to be his new normal.

Mildly uncomfortable, it didn’t take long till he found his way out of the place, following signs for anything that sounded like a reception area or what have you. Other teenagers were lounging around, socializing in a normal fashion, sparing him glances everytime they caught a whiff of his scent. Erik found it even more peculiar that they always seemed to be in groups of five to seven people, like little cliques. High School in general was very cliquish but this...this was just weird. Really this was all freaking confusing. But he was determined to not let this cause him to explode in frustration.

At least...not yet.

“Excuse me but you wouldn’t happen to be Erik, would you?”

Luckily, Erik didn’t collide with the source of the voice so wrapped in his thoughts that he was. And it would have been exceptionally difficult to do so when said source was sitting patiently behind a desk. It was a young man (just a bit older than himself) dressed casually with short, tapered hair and willy, blue eyes glowing behind dark frames. His expression was rather unimpressed and his eyes looked the former jock up and down quickly, sizing him up. Then his nose twitched and his expression grew a little terse. What, did he smell bad or something? Either way, sea-green hues darkened defensively, daring the guy to say  _ anything  _ mildly offensive or triggering.

“Yeah, I'm him. Are you the one who is supposed to be waiting for me?”

The guy jumped out of his seat and was in front of the counter in seconds, a folder a twixt tanned hands. He bared his teeth, and Erik couldn’t but notice the presence of sharp canines. “Yes. My name is Nathaniel White, an upperclassman here at our school. Since the dean had to attend to a more important matter, I’ll be the one showing you to your packmates.”

“ _ My what?”  _ Erik exclaimed before he could stop himself, wondering if he just heard correctly.

Nathaniel gave him this look that clearly said he was questioning his intelligence. Either way, his opinion of Erik seemed to whittle away, if there had been one in the first place. “I suppose that's a foreign concept to you. I mean being a Stray and all I shouldn't expect—”

“Being a what?” Again he couldn’t stop himself, brain going into overdrive at all this new terminology.

“Did you grow up under a rock? No one could possibly be this du—pardon...i meant  _ ignorant _ to key principles of their culture. Unbelievable.” Pinching the bridge of his nose and muttering something that suspiciously sounded like an expletive, the older male thumbed his way through the contents of the folder till he stopped on a page, looking skeptical. “It says here you were raised by a single parent—go figure—and have lived among humans for the entirety of your life. It also says that your dynamic is...Alpha? You? Really?”

Erik really didn’t understand what the guy meant but he tried not to let his emotions show on his face when Nathaniel mentioned his upbringing, which seemed incomplete.  He didn’t know why his mother felt the need to omit some of the details but he trusted her decision. Still...what was an Alpha? The lack of knowledge was really killing him here. The guy probably thought he was some kind of idiot. Did it really matter though? He wasn’t here to impress or make friends. He was just here out of necessity and maybe to figure out how to control that other part of himself.

Trying not to let his frustrations get the better of him, the younger wolf tried to compose his face into something a little more respectful compared to the silent tension that had been brimming throughout his form five seconds ago. “Look...this is all really new to me. I’ve had a real quiet life till a couple of days ago so I’m still trying to wrap my head around all this,” he gestured generally with his arms, “stuff. And I don’t know what an Alpha is.”

Even with the humble edge invading that low voice, the older wolf still was rather unfazed, rubbing his temple as those ocean-blue’s became half-lidded. When he spoke, a layer of sarcasm tainted his mellow voice. “You don’t even know your own dynamic… Jeez. Strays sure are in uneducated lot.” A slow smirk played out on his lips as Erik bristled, something satisfied flashing behind dark frames. “You have a knot don’t you? Near the base of your dick? Sure you seen it before.”

An embarrassed flush spread like wildfire down Erik’s neck as he spluttered ungraciously, looking everywhere but at the male in front of him. A considerable amount of gazes were upon them and if Erik allowed himself, he could hear the whispers between the scattered mass. But how could the guy be so brazen about such things? How did he know? Was that...this whole time his genitals had been normal? Well in wolf standards, maybe. A part of him was slightly comforted by this, years of feeling alien suddenly becoming so much more tolerable. However, it didn’t get rid of the embarrassment he was feeling.

“So...you make it a habit of looking at another guy’s junk?” Erik uttered quietly, some of the red having disappeared from his skin.

Nathaniel shrugged, nonplussed. “Really, it's a commonality. Get it together, kid. Anyway, we’ve wasted enough time here as it is. Stray or not, your not so interesting enough that I wouldn’t rather be doing something else.”

Condescending much? Erik knew if he allowed himself to react in the way he was accustomed to (punch first, apologize later) he would make it that much hardier on himself. So stuffing his pride back down, the annoyed, ex-jock followed reluctantly behind the somewhat-jerk of an upperclassman. As they walked, he noted how open the hallways and entryways were due to a lot of the windows and paneling being constructed by glass. You would think werewolves would utilize more discretion but there wasn’t even a thought to obscurity in this design. Of course it made the view of the campus ground more beautiful than it should be, noting how it was more reminiscent of a college campus than a highschool one. It just looked so...so…

_ Normal. _

Not knowing what to expect (not that he ever did in the first place), Erik kept his mind open to the possibilities as they continued on for about ten more minutes, having stopped mapping things in his head after the second elevator ride. One of those hallways connected to the dorms and soon he was host to an assortment of smells that was about to cause an olfactory overload. He literally had to stop, staggering, eyes wide as he looked everywhere wildly, not processing all the faces of everyone in the common area. So many scents; some strange; some heady; some tantalizing. He couldn’t stop himself from eyeing two girls who eyed him back curiously, giggling once they picked up his scent, their own becoming stronger for some reason—irresistible. Hypnotized, Erik took a step toward them, control snatched away from him at the beckoning of such a soft, sweet smell. The wolf in him salviated—no  _ hungered— _

“Oh cmon. Don’t even know how to control yourself around a couple of Omega?”

Fingers found their way into the scruff of his jacket as they halted his movement, unable to stop himself from whirling on the guy with flash of teeth and a deep reverberating growl of warning traveling through his throat. Interestingly enough, Nathaniel actually looked surprised before it was quickly smothered in annoyance, not quite looking away nor looking Erik straight in the eye. “Keep approaching those two and the Alpha’s in that pack were going to eat you alive. And I doubt you can tough your way out of that.”

He was right unfortunately. Much to Erik’s chagrin, after he reclaimed some semblance of control, he did notice that two others (a girl and a guy respectively) were baring their teeth at him, bodies hardwired for a fight. And as strong as he believed himself to be, something told the wolf he would not walk away from that encounter unscathed. Yeah, it wasn’t a good idea. And he didn’t even know what came over him in the first place, shaking his head as he followed Nathaniel's retreating form into the elevator. It stopped on the sixth floor, dropping  them off in a corridor with doors that were somewhat spaced out from each other. Fortunately, it was devoid of an lingering souls.

“Down here, Stray.”

Seriously, what was up with that name? Granted, Erik wasn’t fool enough to believe it was something complimentary but he was wise enough not to question it, noticing how his annoyed companion seemed even more impatient to get rid of him. He stopped at the furthest door in the hall, rapping on it sharply in hopes of puncturing through the loud noise coming from behind it.

Rolling his eyes after five minutes and no answer, he yelled through the door with an annoyed edge to his voice, “I’m coming in!”

With the flash of a cardkey, the door swung open, revealing to the former football player what he assumed would be his new living quarters.

Well it was definitely spacious...and already occupied with living things. Note the plural there.

Walking into the apartment gave way to a nicely sized, fully furnished living room that could comfortable situate eight people, more if they didn’t mind standing. There was 55 inch flat screen TV  mounted over a fireplace with a couple of game systems hooked up to it; an air hockey table a couple feet away; a cozy study area with a computer; and other miscellaneous objects that livened up the space. The kitchen was also close by  yet separated smoothly from it as well, decorated with steel appliances and a decent sized table big enough to seat a full family with no issue. Suffice it to say it was really nice. And it was already occupied.

Four pairs of eyes narrowed on him and Erik almost considered walking out the door.

“Really, can you turn that nonsense down? No wonder you couldn’t hear me knocking,” Nathaniel hissed as a male about Erik’s age got up to turn the radio off, rolling his eyes.

“We heard you. Didn’t mean we wanted you to come in.”

Blue eyes flashed dangerously. “Mind your attitude Zayev. I’m just here to drop off the newest addition to your pack.”

“Oh, I wonder if he’ll be exciting. What do you think, Lovetta?”

“Dunno. Long as he doesn’t eat my snacks, Ylva.”

Two girls who were so similar in appearance with their russet-colored brown hair, nordic blue eyes, and a dusting of freckles along their nose were quick to arise from their seat on the couch to investigate their guest. The only way Erik could tell them apart were by scent alone for one smelled like vanilla and the other like chocolate, both garbed in the same exact navy t-shirt and black jeans to further solidify their semblance. And the way they moved—when one went to randomly pick up his arm, the other was already there to investigate it the moment the other moved. It was like they moved in unison, talking quickly amongst themselves that Erik had to tune them out after they started going so fast. 

“Those two, Lovetta and Ylva, are the two betas of your packs. Twins if you couldn’t tell,” introduced his scowling guide as the two females backed off in a storm of hushed whispers, eyes darting back to Erik every now and then. “And the omega over there is—”

“Uh, hello? I have a name and its Seff. Ring any bells?”

Sitting in an almost lackadaisical fashion in a computer chair was a male with hair like spun gold; shaved just a bit on side with the rest falling haphazard into a bang above steely-grey orbs. His skin was pale; high cheekbones suggestive of an old bloodline; and a hint of snark played behind his eyes. A piercing on each ear gave a hint of his style with his punkish attire and bangles to complete the look. He was surprisingly tall, almost Erik’s height save a couple inches; his frame was on the lanky side despite the wiry strength in those long limbs. Erik couldn’t help but notice that sweet, cloying scent coming from him, trying to seduce him again akin to when he was in the presence of those two girls. It was just so... _ irresistible _ , sea-green hues becoming half-lidded as if spellbound.

Erik swallowed, tasting that sweetness on his tongue, sampling it.

Those steel-grey hues flickered ever so slightly, a teasing smile playing at pink lips.

“I will hand it to you, Nathaniel; at least he’s a looker,” commentated the one called Seff as he circled Erik, his eyes burning with something as he observed quietly at the former jock’s reaction to him. “I definitely won’t mind playing with him—”

“Hell if you will.”

Another wolf, the one that had addressed Nathaniel first upon entry, interrupted with a low snarl in a rather aggressive voice, stepping from the kitchen to come between Seff and Erik, severing eye contact. Mildly disoriented, Erik blinked a couple of times and quirked a brow at the other male who was an inch taller than him with fair skin; onyx-black eyes that glared hot daggers; and a shock of blue hair streaked with yellow. Broad shoulders and that near-palpable overconfidence reminded Erik of one of the members of his football team, especially with that body that screamed athleticism. The corner of his lip was pulling back into a dangerous snarl and Erik found himself doing the same, unwilling to sever the eye contact between them because that would forfeit dominance. The wolf in him wouldn’t allow that—not in front of the pack, in front of the omega.

Again...

_ What the hell? _

Erik blinked, confused. The wolf before him scoffed condescendingly and rolled his eyes, severely unimpressed. “He smells like a meatbag.”

“Well he’s your meatbag now. Erik the meatbag, meet Zayev. He, like yourself, is also an Alpha. So you can definitely look forward to getting along and making the best decisions for your pack.” The moment Nathaniel even had the words barely out of his mouth, the blue-haired one’s nostrils flared in challenge, his posture bleeding aggression. The upperclassman didn’t seem fazed but the subtle shift in his scent suggested otherwise. “Look, I’m just here to drop him off. Feel free to rip into him or what have you when I’m gone. So play nice for now. Laters.”

_ Click _ .

The closing of the door had a note of finality to it as everything was enveloped in a tense silence, the root of the tension drawn taunt and ready for a fight. Erik didn’t know these people; were they expecting him to live amongst them and do what? Call them his friends? His family? Ridiculous. Even under the harsh scrutiny of one, the shared curiosity of two, and subject to the devilish smirk of another, the wolf could hardly find it within himself to get along with them, nonetheless share a space. Besides, it would seem they were already established as a group. To put it bluntly, he was the intruder, the violation to their usual way of life. To be honest, the feeling was rather foreign to the former football player, having been used to the adoration of his colleagues and the popularity of being the golden boy of his school’s football team. Here he had nothing. Here he was on the bottom of the totem pole. And for the first time, he was surrounded by people  _ just like him _ . 

Funny how the universe worked.

Someone shifted in his periphery, causing the on edge wolf to tense even further as he prepared for some form of attack.

“...This is really dumb. Why are we standing around like this?”

The question was posed by Seff who seemed bored by this awkward standoff, giving the blue-haired alpha an expectant stare, quirking a finely-curved brow. “Take the initiative here, oh great alpha. You know...before we grow old.”

Zayev’s lip curled in distaste, more so aimed at his new pack member then the blond. Scoffing, he turned his back on them and started walking down the corridor, hands digging into his pockets. When he spoke, his voice was dismissive and cold, “I really don’t care what he does as long as he stays out of our way.”

“Oh great leadership, wise one. Way to make the new guy feel welcome,” Seff snapped back, annoyed more so that Erik’s wellbeing seemed to have been unfairly dropped upon him for some reason. Taking a quick look around confirmed this as the twins seemed to have disappeared somewhere with only loud music coming from the direction Zayev went to give any indication of their whereabouts. It wasn’t like Erik cared about the lackluster treatment; it was just this compounded with everything else was what was causing a migraine to form in the back of his head, brows pinching in mild pain. Noticing this, Seff tilted his head at him, steel hues curiously guarded. “You okay? I know this hasn’t been the nicest welcome wagon to ride on, but everyone will come around.” The unsaid  _ I think _ was left in that soundless vacuum of no hope as Erik’s eyes narrowed, appearing a little less than hopeful. ‘C’mon, I’ll show you to your room. At some point, they got your stuff up here when the rest of us was out so you don’t have to worry about any of us having been in your stuff. Well, I can speak for myself and Zayev and maybe Lovette...but Ylva...hm...”

Erik pretended he didn’t hear the last portion of that statement because the last thing he needed was for the possibility of having his belongings violated on the back of his mind. So just keeping his mouth closed lest he say something that would probably come out hostile, the alpha nodded in what he hoped was appreciation as he followed Seff down the corridor leading out of the living area. There were about six doors, two of which had nameplates on it (Ylva and Lovette respectively) while the other four were blank save for identifying characteristics on two. Erik could only assume those two belonged to the blond and the jackass and one of the untouched doors was soon to be his room. Luckily, his room was the furthest apart with the closest belonging to Seff. Great...at least he would have a moment to prepare should anyone decide to cause him harm.

Not pointing any fingers of course.

Inwardly scoffing at the notion for anyone even daring to try and disturb him, the black-haired wolf opened the door the moment Seff stepped aside to allow him to pass, finding the accommodations to be satisfactory. A four poster bed; beige walls; a desk with a laptop on the surface, a 32 inch tv sitting forlornly in the corner and a dresser for his usage. It was big enough that it wouldn’t induce a claustrophobic meltdown, noticing his suitcase was laying untouched on the bed. On the desk next to the laptop was a key card and a couple of papers—probably information about the school or whatever. 

All and all it was a nice enough space that he would probably spend the majority of his time in. He wasn’t here to socialize—especially when your roommates were borderline psychopaths...or just eccentric. Neither option was good.

“Hey, thanks...Seff, right?” Sea-green hues sought wandering grey ones as they blinked before pink lips tugged up into something akin to a cheshire cat grin. 

“No problem. A pack should always help each other out.” For some reason, Erik had the inkling that his intentions weren’t so chivarious but he dare not point this out in consequence of seeming rude. Still, Seff looked like he wanted to ask a personal question going from how he furtively cast a glance behind his shoulder, verifying that they were in fact alone. It was safe to assume he was the type to just do things that suited his interest. “Is this your first time being around so many wolves, if you don’t mind me asking? Not to seem rude but you certainly do have the scent of human wrapped snugly around you.”

Erik wasn’t sure how much information to give if the guy was asking him a question like that, confirming that they probably didn’t know anything about him. Which was good; the less people knew the better. “This is my first time being around wolves, period. Excluding my mother.”

Blonde brows shot up into equally golden locks as Seff settled comfortably along the door frame, arms lazily crossed along his chest. “No kidding? So your a Stray…?”

“I don’t know what that is.” Another honest answer from the alpha wolf who couldn’t keep the weariness out of his tone, having made it to his bed after kicking his suitcase onto the floor. “I don’t really know much about werewolves in general. Unless the stuff from the movies are true.”

“Some of it isn’t really human fabrication—there is truth in some of their hollywood crap. But they’ve forgotten this truth as the years went by. Or you know, dumb humans just being dumb.” The omega wolf laughed derisively, missing how the other occupant of the room bristled, fingers clenching briefly. After his laughter died down to quiet chuckles, he cleared his throat and fixed the other with a lopsided grin, steel-grey’s gleaming. “But wow...I’ve never met a Stray before—nonetheless one that didn’t know he  _ is  _ a Stray. That’s interesting…”

“Gonna tell me what it is or not?”

The guy huffed playfully. “I was getting to it. You alphas should really learn some patience. To keep things simple, it's a packless wolf. Via by exile or born into it or whatever the circumstances may be, they aren’t apart of our society. I’ve been told their kind of...well ugly or crazy...or both. But you’re,” his voice took on a deceptively husky edge, “surprisingly cute.”

Again, Erik balked at how susceptible to that cloyingly, sweet scent he was, brain reeling at the pungence of its presence as it had been muted just seconds ago. Was Seff doing this on purpose? Did he have control of it? It wasn’t like he could just ask… Still, the dryness in his throat and the restless pacing of the other part of himself was almost intolerable, swallowing continuously as a means to wet his throat as he stared at the other painfully who seemed decidedly unaffected. But the gleam of fangs and the darkening of those eyes told another story. 

“Mind...mind if I have a moment? Not going to lie, but I’m tired,” squeezed out the suffering alpha who had the outrageous desire to burrow his nose in the others neck and bite, and lick, and  _ inhale— _

_ Please no. _

But Seff wasn’t merciful, or at least wasn’t going to make this easy. He considered the request for a moment, looking innocently concerned. “You don’t seem tired. You seem a little feverish, in my opinion. Want me to help?”

And before Erik could stop himself, something about this situation not satisfactory (not the right one his mind insisted), his eyes flashed as he growled out lowly, “Get.Out.”

Seff blinked, taken aback. “Are you—”

“ _ Out! _ ”

Without even giving the struggling wolf a second glance, the blond was gone, the door closing signifying his departure. Suddenly exhausted and seriously not understanding anything anymore, Erik fell back on his bed, arm slung over his eyes to shut out the light.

One moment he had been prepared to pin the guy to the wall and the next he was clear minded enough to send the guy away. Erik didn’t understand how that was possible or where he summoned the strength, but for a moment, in his mind, there had only been one blond and his scent was the one he craved more than any other. That is...if he had been attracted to the more masculine sex. He wasn’t gay. Yet why was something deep within his soul laughing at the notion? Why was it that everytime he closed his eyes, the wolf opened its great maw and let out a chilling howl of laughter at him? At how he denied himself the fated attraction to his childhood best friend? The best friend that he missed now in this faraway, upside down place where his much vaunted strength was nothing out of the ordinary? Erik wondered how Leiss was holding up. Maybe he should call…

_ Normally soft hazels glistened with fear, lungs constricting with bated breath. _

No its too soon, too  _ fresh _ .

Leiss needed sometime right? It was the considerate thing to do. But Erik was selfish, was already reeling from the separation into this alien environment. He could at least  _ try. _

Going against his better judgement, the wolf thumbed down to one of his favorite contacts, tapped the screen and watched it ring a little. It was a bit late; if anything, Leiss was probably studying like the nerd he was or rewatching a play he’s seen a million times over. A few more seconds and the automated voicemail greeted him as opposed to the warm voice of his friend, prompting a disappointed sigh and a half-hearted attempt of not throwing the phone against the wall.

Figures. It really was too fresh. And it probably wouldn’t ever heal.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long but I hope the length makes up for it! It is quite long so I hope you don't mind and it was satisfying to write. So please, enjoy!

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_ “Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many.”  _ **— Phaedrus**   
  


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For once in his life, Leiss really didn’t know what to do. 

Well no, that wasn’t completely accurate.

More like, that innate self-assuredness to know everything was going to be alright was wavering.

He found himself sitting in the comfy (if not a little over-saturated with pop culture paraphernalia) room of his good friend Amanda, whose current expression matched the severity of his situation. She was devastated; eyes all puffy with unshed tears and her lips were set in a perpetual frown of dismay. He found it funny in a macabre sense that she was more accurately reflecting what one was supposed to feel in this situation even though this wasn't her problem to deal with. 

Hopelessness. 

Despair. 

Uncertainty. 

If the blond even made an attempt to sum up the entirety of what he was feeling, it would get lost in the catastrophe that was his emotions. If anything, his mind stopped trying to discern what he was going through, stopped rewinding the painful encounter that took place a mere hour and a half ago, knowing that it wouldn’t take much to finally tip him over the edge. A void of blankness had settled over him—and maybe that was his way of coping with what was going on.

Because...you know, he certainly never been homeless before. Never quite had his father threaten to kill him either.

So yes, these were all relatively new experiences for him—as unfortunate as they were. But his cause wasn’t completely lost; there was still a blessing in the form of his somewhat estranged cousin. Strange how fate works—he had only literally called his cousin earlier today and now he’s basically asking the guy to come rescue him. It had been embarrassing of course; the words had felt like ash on his tongue and he had to blink back what suspiciously felt like moisture behind his eyes at having to acknowledge the trouble he was in. And maybe he could sense it in his tone or it was just Kai being his helpful self per usual, but his decision hadn’t been thought about at all. There was no hesitation or even a desire for an explanation before he had quietly said “Give me a couple of hours; I’m on my way” and that was the end of that. 

Even though it happened a mere couple of hours ago, Leiss could recall the sheer magnitude of the gratefulness he felt, how it nearly made him drop the phone onto the concrete ground as he buried his face into his palms. There was light in this darkness, a ray of hope to pierce the despair; everything was going to be okay. 

Having been bolstered by that newfound hope, an idea occurred to him, perhaps exacerbated by the sudden drizzle that had started. In the meantime, he could politely impose upon his friend’s hospitality till his help arrived. And by friend, he meant Amanda whom also stayed in the same subdivision as Erik and himself. Note, she was a bit of a walk away but it wasn’t something that would be troublesome.

Fast forward back to the present, that was how Leiss found himself sitting in his friend’s room, fiddling with his phone, hoping that Kai paid attention to the text about the address. Amanda, who has been fidgeting in what she believed to be in a inconspicuous manner, looked like she wanted to say something but the words escaped her. After giving her a basic reindention of what occured, she had hugged him, teared up a little before calming down, knowing that it wouldn’t due if both of them were emotionally and mentally vulnerable at the moment.

There was no doubt about it; it still felt like someone stabbed a knife in his heart, twisted it a bit in place, yanked it out, and thrust it back in. 

That's how his body was registering it.

His mind, well his mind was a separate entity at the moment.

“So, your going to stay with your cousin correct? I’m guessing that means you won’t be able to go to school anymore…?” There was a question at the end of that statement, sharing the uncertainty he himself felt.

Sullen hazel’s left the dying device (he really should ask to use a charger) to gaze at his friend, smiling wanely at how she did that nervous thing she did with her bottom lip. “Probably not. Knowing my father, he’ll probably pull me out of enrollment there on the reason that he wants me to go to some private school. It's no secret that he’s wanted me to go to one for the longest time.”

“Will...will we still be able to see you again?” By we, Leiss could only assume she meant those apart of the drama club. A twinge of something awful rebounded throughout his body, only amplifying the uselessness he was already feeling. Having seen some evidence of this reflected on his face, the girl cringed in self-reproach, looking down at her threaded hands. “Yeah...I guess that was a dumb question.”

Not really; it had been a legitimate concern. Before he could convey this, the tousled mess of Mr. Reid’s head appeared in the doorway, a smudge of something on the corner of his lip. “Everything okay in here?”

“Yeah dad. Can you like, go away please? Having a moment here.” Amanda’s tone was waspish, not even bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice as her dad retreated, looking fairly sheepish. The redhead didn’t even remotely look affected. “He...can’t help it.”

Leiss did his best to look and sound sympathetic. “He does know I’m gay, right?”

“If he didn’t, you wouldn’t be allowed in my room in the first place.”

As friendly and welcoming as Mr. Reid was, he was more than a little protective of his “little girl” in the presence of male company. It might be because he is a single father; or simply because Amanda had four older brothers and she was his only girl; but the man could be a bit suffocating sometimes. And like with all adults, Leiss and Mr. Reid got along famously, mostly because the blond’s preference aligned more with the masculine sex. Still, that didn’t stop him from coming to check on them every hour or so, some biologically ingrained instinct compelling him to check to see if he was endangering his only daughter’s virtue in anyway.

Right.

Because there was even a possibility in  _ hell _ —

Leiss sighed wearily, quelling that line of thinking before it spiraled out of control, finally submitting to every teenaged compulsion to have their personal phone charged. Luckily, Amy had a similar phone so the charger was compatible. He gave her a weak smile, appreciating even this small kindness in this lamentable situation. His phone beeped in gratitude at the source of energy, blinking back a sudden surge of tears at the background picture behind the luminous glow of 9:30 P.M. 

It was of Erik and him at the fair on his 16th birthday; cotton candy in one hand and the other trying to hinder the attempt at the photo. Erik’s arm had been looped around his shoulders as the other positioned the camera, grinning devilishly like the mad fool that he was despite Leiss’s protest. It wasn’t that he disliked pictures by any means. It was just that he had been somewhat drenched by a splash of water from an act and he looked...fairly unflattering in his standards. Which was why Erik wanted to capture the moment, reasoning that Leiss was never caught in such an uncomplimentary state. 

Of course, the effort wasn’t worth it after the picture had been taken. But the blond could remember that triumphant smirk haven’t left his friend’s face for about a week.

His friend who was once again in M.I.A status by the way.

_ Focus on more important matters, Leiss _ .

Anymore stressful thoughts and he was bound to turn completely grey so he mentally agreed to just  _ let it go _ , rubbing his face with his palms in a weary fashion. Some time during his trip into despair-ville, Amy had fled his side, leaving him staring blankly at the empty spot next to him after acknowledging her absence. Before he could even humor the possibilities as to where she may have gone, her very distinct voice yelling something that suspiciously sounded like “No dad—your so freaking embarrassing” came from somewhere downstairs. He would have probably paid it no mind (her dad oft did embarrassing things to warrant such a reply) but a distinctly familiar voice caused him to pause, breath hitching for a moment.

Was that…

No time for speculation, heart beating with something akin to anxious excitement, Leiss leapt off the bed, phone in hand despite its pitiful beep for energy and was flying downstairs in a matter of seconds, halting when he was about one step down from the bottom.

Short hair the color of wheat but naturally styled in a way that it didn’t know whether it wanted to be curly or straight; eyes the color of a storm but holding all the ferocity of a curious kitten; all these things were what Leiss could remember that never changed about his cousin. But what did change over time, what made him blink twice in uncharacteristic shyness at the regardance of slate-grey hues, was more so these new physical changes then anything. He didn’t quite remember Kai being so tall—his hair was brushing intimately with the top of the doorframe and any taller his forehead would collide with it. Even though every part of his body was covered, there was no mistaking the strain of lithe muscles pressing flush underneath the fabrics of his clothing, like he had filled out tremendously in the years apart. Or went through some serious boot camp. Maybe drugs too? Or a combination of the two? Whatever it was, it was certainly something because that didn’t fit the lanky teenager in his memories. Besides a couple of more minor aesthetics (was that a beauty mark on his jaw?), a slight tan to normally fairer skin, and a upgrade in clothing style (since when did he wear blazers?) he was still the same Kai. Hopefully.

Wait...had he been checking out his cousin? In a not so inconspicuous fashion, mind you.

Well if he hadn’t been going to hell already, he certainly just purchased his one-way ticket right then.

Going from the obvious amusement that glowed in those slate hues, it was suffice to say his cousin had noticed, looking ready to say something but Amanda’s dad was quick to interject, scowling. 

“You trying to marry my daughter, boy?”

Amanda bristled furiously at his side as she began pushing angrily at his shoulder, flushed heatedly with embarrassment. “Dad your so—ugh! Please go drown yourself. Please!” Her frantic eyes flickered to their guest who had yet to be allowed entry, unable to look him in the eye in a novel show of bashfulness.

But Kai being...well  _ Kai _ wasn’t particularly perturbed by the question, the corner of his mouth twitching into a hint of a grin, taking all this in stride. “Well she is rather cute so I would be honored—”

“Hey Kai. Happy you paid attention to my text about the address.”

Leiss being able to predict the direction the conversation would go in because it would seem his cousin still didn’t know how to filter out certain dialogue options, was able to interject before his cousin could finish that sentence, noticing that his best friend was gaping like a fish and thus irresponsible for the man that looked five seconds from blowing a gasket. Fast with words, he was even faster with joining them downstairs, coming to stand between his occasionally reckless cousin and Mr. Reid who was probably contemplating killing the young man where he stood. To further diffuse the situation, the blond did his best to play the part of intermediary, holding up his hands in a peaceable display. 

It was like holding a red cape in front of a bull. 

“Forgive my cousin Mr. Reid. He said that all in jest—he’s practicing how to be a comedian.” Completely untrue but that was the only thing that he could think of on the fly. Something that sounded like a guffaw was muffled behind him and Leiss restrained himself from elbowing Kai in the ribs. A quick glance to his side and Amanda didn’t seem impressed by his effort—hell was that disappointment? Did she think Kai had been serious?

Mr. Reid crossed his arms, growling like a very displeased bear. “I didn’t find it funny. And he can’t come in. Boys like him can’t keep their dicks in their pants and I don’t want him waging it in front of my daughter’s—”

“ _ Dad!” _

“—face.”

“That’s no problem, Mr. Reid. There will be nothing of the sort. Actually, we need to go, right Kai?” Leiss prompted with a raised brow in his cousin’s direction, a silent order to kill whatever uncensored reply that had been forming on the other blond’s tongue. Threat assuaged (for now), hazel hues softened on the stricken face of his increasingly mortified friend’s face, giving a watery, apologetic smile. “Thanks for the help Amy. I’ll text you when we get there.”

She was already closing the door, probably sensing that her father had half the mind to chase after them. “Later, Leiss.” A chance, furtive glance over her shoulder to make sure her father wasn’t looking particularly hard in her direction, she gestured mutely towards the departing form of his cousin and mimicked answering a phone, mouthing  _ tell him to call me _ . 

Leiss pretended he didn’t see that, releasing a sigh when he heard the door close behind them, wanting to say so many things but lacking the energy to put each and every thought into words. Instead, he decided to focus on the fact that his cousin seemed to have come into ownership of a rather expensive looking car. Okay, where did he even get the funds too—

“I think he liked me.” Kai broke the silence with an eyebrow raising statement, unlocking the car so they could both sit. Even though the exterior was darker than midnight and sleeker than polished steel, it was somewhat cluttered with papers and a odd case or two in the back, taking away the luxuriousness from the leather upholstery. An odd smell permeated the air—if he had to describe it, it smelled similarly to paint. Leiss didn’t know if he should make a comment upon the upkeep—or lack thereof on this car.

“No, I’m pretty sure that’s the furthest thing away from the truth.”

The older male scoffed playfully, clicking a button along the length of the steering wheel, the car purring to life instanously. “And how would you know?”

Soft hazels rolled in their sockets, wondering if his cousin was being serious right now. “It’s called reading the air...or just listening to verbal cues. He was under the impression you were there to steal her away.”

“Well, if he was just going to give her away like that then sure—”

“ _ Kai!” _

The other blond jumped a little at the exclamation, the skin around slate-grey hues wrinkling around the edges as he studied the pouting face of his younger family member, searching for something. “What?”

“Your not being serious are you? Because self-delusion isn't something I would expect from you.”

“Of course I’m not. No, really,” he added this last part with as much assurance as possible, surprised at the intensity of the doubt swimming behind that analytical gaze. “I wasn’t sure what kind of mood you would be in so I figured I would go with a comical approach to when I saw you. Didn’t really account for the possibility of a half-drunk guy with a daughter complex.”

Leiss felt something in him warm a little, but he didn’t allow it to phase out the reprimanding edge that armored his voice. “Hey be nice. He’s a good father.”

“And I’m a monkey’s uncle.”

“Well you could be going off of that clumsy performance.” The briefest off smiles crossed his face at the indignant expression that reflected from the rearview mirror, unable to stop himself from lightly placing his head against the passenger window as they pulled off smoothly, laughter shaking his shoulders. A weariness seemed to be reborn from the ashes of earliest events, suddenly remembering all the occurrences that led him to this situation to begin with. And with it, the negative emotions that momentarily snatched his tongue away from him. “Besides, I think I know a thing or two about half-drunk father’s.”

Really, Leiss had been expecting that one-line to be a mood killer; Kai did allow himself a moment to appear lost for words before his expression schooled itself into a careful mixture of sympathy and kindness. Thankfully, there was no pity there; no pity for the teenager that was irrevocably homeless and more than likely dead to his only immediate family. And for that, he appreciated his cousin, knowing that pity would only make him feel worse which was evident by the suspicious sting behind his eyes. Leiss nibbled on his bottom lip with an anxious fervor, willing himself to remain calm, cool, and collected if not a smidge depressed.

“So...so what happened,” broached the other softly, coaxingly. Not even the slightest hint of pressure was present in the husky timbre of his voice. Despite their focus being on the shadowy roads of nighttime Georgia, he could still feel the weight and inexplicable warmness of those stormy eyes. A flash of verdant-green and a boisterous grin danced tauntingly in his peripheral, having to blink more to ward off the silliness of his mind. “You don’t have to be detailed if you don't want to; I kind of got the gist of it.”

“Well there isn’t much details to expound upon really—my dad flew into a terrible anger and kicked me out.” Was his reply, a little more tense than he would like. He knew that wasn’t what Kai meant but his less-than-stellar mood was making him difficult, even if he himself was aware of it.

Maybe patience came with age because the other male was content to just relax against his seat, one hand on the steering wheel and the other pressing some buttons on the dash to give some instruction to the car. Seconds later and a cool breeze was drifting throughout the vehicle, making him laugh inwardly how old Nick struggled to even power on the fan in the summertime.

“When you say terrible anger do you mean the whole ‘the power of christ compel you’ thing with holy water?”

Leiss scoffed, feeling the slightest signs of a headache forming between his brow. “Your image of my fa—,” the word died on his tongue, flinching at rage incarnate forbidding him for using that word in regards to him, “of your uncle is something else.”

“Are you sticking up for him?” Kai gaped, aghast.

In a rather naustaing moment of clarity, Leiss realized he had been, feeling something twist inside him bitterly. What a awesome habit to look forward to breaking. Note the sarcasm behind those words. “No, not really. It was a completely, unbiased fact.”

Fingers thrummed impatiently on the steering wheel, the car being held in place momentarily by a traffic light. “In all seriousness Leiss, I’m happy to see you again even if the circumstances are a little...well, fucked up.”

“Language,” corrected the blond halfheartedly, earning a demure laugh from the other. “Happy to see you too. Your…,” a slightly frazzled golden head peeled itself temporarily from the coolness of the glass to stare in mute incredulity at his cousin, desiring a change in topic in all honesty, “different. Physically anyway.”

Respecting his silent wish, his cousin mercifully played along,“What do you mean? I’ve always been a Sexy Adonis, cousin.”

Sexy  _ Adonis—christ _ . The impulse to slam his palm into his face had been staggering in its force, hiding the urge behind a polite cough and an impassive, quirked brow. “Ego-check please. And no, you haven’t always looked like that. I think you was a bit on the small side—”

“Hey! It's called growing up. And you look different too.”

“Oh really…?”

Kai made a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat, his expression decidedly ambiguous. Leiss got the impression of him wanting to say something but was subduing it in a rare show of restraint. Odd. “Yeah. You grew a little of course. But you have this...maturedness about you. Like, you used to be so unsure of yourself but now,” those charcoal-greys were on him again, and the emotion behind them made him feel like the layers that composed his core were coming undone under the scrutiny off that all-consuming gaze, “I feel like no one could tell you anything that would make you question who you are. Its...It's a rather attractive quality, to be honest.”

_ Silence. _

“And I mean that in a completely non-sexual-cousin-telling-his-younger-cousin-he’s-cool kinda way. Just in case you needed some clarification.”

“Gee thanks. My inexperienced, teenage brain would have never made that connection,” Leiss bit out with a touch of playful sarcasm, an unwilling smile being pulled from him at the good-natured punch to his shoulder. “Two hands on the steering wheel please at all times. I want to get to Woodcrest in one piece.”

“You said no hands?” Asked the driver innocently as he teasingly released the steering wheel, the car beginning to veer naturally to the left. 

Leiss lurched involuntarily at the wheel with wide, apprehensive eyes, glaring when those capable hands resumed their place on the leather faster than he could blink, accompanied with a childish snicker. “Can you...not do that?  _ Ever? _ ”

“Take a chill pill; I got this.”

“Uh-huh.” Hoping that note off skepticism was prominent enough that Kai got the message, Leiss feeling decidedly more exhausted than before made it so that his chair reclined a bit into a better position to rest, curling up ever so slightly. Even as he closed his eyes, he could feel the draw of concerned smoky hues upon his form, prompting him to quietly mumble an explanation. “Forgive me, but I’m a little wore out. I just need to rest a little if you don’t mind. I promise to play catch up in a bit.”

A pause and then a couple of mechanical sounds of confirmation before Kai uttered a reply back, his words encouraging, like he could understand the fatigue drifting throughout that lean body. “No worries. I’ll wake you up when we get there...so rest well.”

And before Leiss could truly allow his conscious to drift off into blissful restfulness, he shifted in genuine surprise at the soft, sonorous keystrokes of a melody that he knew like the back of his hand. He smiled, holding back the sudden cascade of emotion that flared to life at the considerate gesture from his cousin.

_ Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. _

His favorite piece.

And he still remembered, after all this time.

 

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

 

 

“Home sweet home! Sorry, if it needs a little sprucing up—I usually try to straighten up when I have the time.”

Translation:  _ I don’t straighten up so shoot me _ . 

Leiss couldn’t help but furrow his brow in mild puzzlement, honestly not getting the impression of untidiness when they walked into Kai’s flat. Sure there was a hint of controlled chaos about the place that only indicated it was at least well-lived in. It was a nice decent size; it came equipped with a comfortable living room; a sectioned off kitchen with modern appliances and a table that could sit four; and a hallway that he assumed lead to the bedrooms. Oh, and did he mention that there appeared to be a alarmingly, large bird preening busily on a perch in the corner of the living room, whipping its sharp head to stare predatorily in their direction before resuming what it had been doing after deeming them uninteresting.

Leiss made an unconscious move to go back whence they came, only pausing when a steadying hand dettered him from doing so which wasn’t an easy feat when juggling with grocery bags.

“Oh don’t mind Xena over there; I promise she’s not going to hurt you. She’s just the sweetest thing.”

Right, tell that to those flesh-ripping talons and that wickedly curved beak. Refraining from verbalizing those rather choice words and curbing his instinctive desire to run away, Leiss followed his cousin to the kitchen table where he placed the groceries down. Some time during his little expedition into the dream world, the other blond had procured some groceries and when he was questioned about it, the other merely appeared sheepish and muttered, “I don’t think what I got at home will feed two”. So insert a rather guilty ex-drama club member who could do little more than utter a noise of agreement and help carry them upstairs. The lobby area to the building had been rather vacant but other than that, the complex seemed well-cared for. He didn’t really get a chance to look around; it was at least close to midnight so everything was pitch black and he was still unfortunately rather exhausted. It was no small wonder that he was able to keep his promise to text Amanda about his arrival. Not to mention he apparently had a missed call from an unrecognizable number. And he seriously wasn’t in the mood to be solicited so he didn’t really pay any attention to it.

“Hey don’t worry about putting the groceries away—I know you're still tired.” Kai’s voice caused the weary blond to pause upon taking a can of tomato sauce out the bag, about to argue when the other beat him to it. “No but’s, seriously. Besides, I know where everything goes so I’ll be able to do it faster. You can go ahead and make yourself comfortable.”

“I hope you don’t mean in the living room. I don’t quite fancy having my eyes plucked out,” said Leiss rather curtly, unable to help some of that fatigue bleed into his voice.

Slate-grey hues drifted away from refrigerator to give that attractive face a once-over before softening with patience, one hand on his hip while another juggled a plastic container. “Don’t be so judgemental. She doesn’t quite like the taste of blonde anyway— _ I’m kidding _ ! Sheesh,” he shrugged helplessly, turning back to what he was doing, “If your going to be like that, you can shack up in the spare room in the far back. It's all yours. If your not totally dead to the world by the time I finish with this, I’ll come check up on you, okay?”

Something that sounded suspiciously like a chewed on “yes” came from pink lips as Leiss let his cousin finish his chore in peace, knowing this his presence was beginning to become trying in his increasing terseness. It wasn’t like him to be so grumpy—even when tired. Yet in all honesty, his mind was finally coming off its emotionally-charged, adrenaline-high and was getting ready to process everything to its fullest extent in a way that would result in him either crashing or being depressed. Probably both. He didn’t want to. He didn’t want to remember the way his father’s face twisted up in disgust at the very sight of him, like his presence or just beholding his form was so repulsive. He didn’t want to remember those prejudice words fueled by drunken rage and some warped desire to exterminate an innocent boy. Yet his mind was a treacherous, masochistic thing, even when all he wanted to do when he got to his designated room was to fall on the bed, close his eyes, and turn off the power switch to his mind. He only succeeded in doing the first two things.

Go figure.

Still...it really sucked and really was astounding how his life just spiraled down hill like this. His conscious wanted something to blame but his character wouldn’t allow him to shift responsibility to anyone that wasn’t at fault. Shame how his brain paraded the ever-so tempting point that if Erik didn’t reveal his secret to him or go wild this week, maybe his father wouldn’t hate him and he could be sleeping in his own bed. Of course that was silly—it was only a matter of time. Such a secret was bound to escape confinement after awhile; it was amazing that it held on for as long as it did. Maybe...maybe all the evidence had been there in the first place? Maybe there had been tells to indicate Erik’s true nature? Not that it mattered—it was just meaningless speculation because nothing would have changed. They would’ve still been friends (after a period of digesting the idea of course).

He would still have these damnable feelings for the idiot. And they would still be unrequited. Leiss squeezed his eyes closed, willing them close despite them being closed already.

_ “The course of true love never did run smooth.” _

Thank you Shakespeare for your impeccable clairvoyance in the way of modern love.

Really, the bitterness didn’t suit him (at shakespeare no less!) but it was all a culmination of the day’s events and the actual downtime needed to process it all colliding at once. The unpleasant prickle behind his eyes grew ever stronger, desiring to just let it go, let it all out. But  _ no no thats weakness _ —he wasn’t weak. He shan’t cry. What would father say? The man’s heart—it’s existence was questionable at best—was muscle encased in steel. He looked down on tears, looked down on any lack of emotional fortitude. Why was he even thinking about him? The man hated him, threatened to kill him where he stood if he didn’t make himself scarce. 

All of this was useless conjecture; Leiss was thinking in circles, getting nowhere, allowing his emotions to get the best of him.

Sitting up now, he realized his hands were starting to shake, could feel the tightening in his heart and the difficulty to keep his breathing even.

_ Relax. Relax. Just breathe. _

_ “Get out of my house you vile creature and never return!” _

A wretched whimper escaped the confines of his throat, fumbling with trying to coordinate digging into his pockets and reaching salvation in the form of white tablets. His breathing escalated in shallow pants, skin unnaturally hot, feeling like his heart was going to explode if he didn’t calm down. God, why was it so hard to get these things out of his jeans? And when he successful did, shaking so much you would think he had a nervous disorder, he nearly let out a sob of relief as he thumbed open the container, resisting just chugging the whole thing down. There was so precious few left—how was he supposed to refill his supply without his father’s aid? The ever looming prospect just equated to more stress, spurring him to shakily pull out a pill—to hell with that he needed  _ two— _ and chug it unceremoniously into his mouth. Leiss swallowed rapturously, stiffening as he blinked up, hair dangling in his glazed eyes.

Kai was staring at him with an indecipherable gaze, having witnessed the whole thing in his silent observation. Saw him have a near meltdown; saw how he struggled than finally downed those capsules like a starved junkie. It was pathetic and so embarrassing. Shame enveloped him nastedly, words failing him as he opened his mouth to say something only to be more mortified at the choked noise that came out instead. 

“Hey…”

There it was— _that tone_. That tone of pity, of approaching condolascense that he neither wanted or needed. He wasn’t weak. Yet why was it that he couldn’t stop himself from averting his eyes. Couldn’t stop the release of a suffering sigh that spoke volumes of the true melancholy he was feeling. He was not weak _._ _Why did it matter,_ argued something small and probably insignificant inside him. Who was he trying to prove that to? Himself? Or his father? Leiss didn’t know but he wasn't weak, he wouldn’t cry, he _wasn’t—_

“Do you—”

“ _ Don’t. Please. _ Just—,” articulating was hard and he was dismayed at how his voice sounded, so frail, so vulnerable. Weak. Leiss squeezed his eyes closed, anxiety attack averted but still feeling like he was going to come undone. 

The lenity in Kai’s expression, the kindness, the limitless patience he found there, made him inexplicable angry, resisting the urge to push his cousin who took a seat next to him on the bed. Perhaps he could sense the violent energy in Leiss for he was smart enough to keep his hands to himself, satisfied with just looking and speaking in that smooth voice of his. “Look, you don’t have to go into details. I get it; the wounds are still fresh and bleeding and it fucking sucks. I get that. I can only imagine that your...my  _ uncle  _ went full-fledged, fucking psycho which in all due honesty sounds scary as hell.”

Leiss just gave him a dour, mulish glance but didn’t stop him.

Seeing that this was permission to continue, Kai appeared as if he was considering something before he gingerly wrapped an arm around lean shoulders, not put off by the rigidness or nervous energy thrumming throughout that slighter frame. “There isn’t much I can say in this situation to comfort you, especially without more details. And I respect your decision to withhold them till your ever ready to talk more about it. I just want you to know that no matter what happens, come hell or high water, that I got your back cousin. Capeesh?”

Stubborn to a fault, Leiss didn’t reply even though he wanted to.

Not dissuaded at all, Kai poked his cheek and kept doing so. “Yes? No? I can keep doing this all night you know.”

“Yes, yes now stop it,” growled the younger lightly, batting at the aggravating digit.

“Good!”

Scoffing at the male’s happiness at his sense of accomplishment, Leiss was unable to hide his small smile of delight at the temirty of the other, feeling that encroaching darkness in his heart go into silent remission. For now anyway. Still, he was grateful for his cousin’s words, and if anything, he didn’t have any problems expressing gratitude. “Thanks for that.”

Kai snorted affectionately. “I also provide other services to cheer people up.”

“Please don’t ruin the moment because I really don’t know if that statement had any sexual implications or not.”

“...Did it?”

Leiss refrained from responding, knowing that if he did, it would just give the guy more fuel to his silliness, even if he appreciated the light hearted joking. However, what he hadn’t been expecting was for surprisingly nimble fingers to pluck his medication right from his grasp, causing him to lurch reactively, disapproving. “Mind giving that back, please?”

Gunmetal-grey orbs scanned the label studiously, not paying attention to the slighter male who actively tried to reach for it, to no avail. “What’s this?” Even though he posed the question, Leiss could tell he reached his own conclusion. Despite this, he humored him.

“My anxiety medication; I have anxiety attacks so they help me out. Is there a problem?”

Those unreadable eyes flickered to admonishing hazel ones at the challenge detected in that light voice, his expression rather neutral. “Not at all. How long have you been taking it?”

“Longer than I can remember. Again, why?”

“Hmm….”

Knowing he wasn’t going to get an answer and any further struggles would be moot, Leiss somewhat unraveled himself from his cousin’s thrall, removed his sneakers, and made himself comfortable on the bed. It was full-size and the comforter was looking more and more tempting as the night drew on. So he crawled underneath it, determining that he really should go to bed, even if his cousin was still rooted to the same place like a statue. The blond furrowed his brow in mild consternation, contemplating if he should kick him off or not.

“How long are you going to sit there?”

“Oh! Uh sorry,” Kai apologized, leaping out of his seat like someone lit it on fire. Still, his fingers remained wrapped unyielding about the container, something that didn't go unnoticed.

“Not to be rude but...could I have that back?”

Wordlessly, the bottle was placed carefully on the side dresser next to the bed, the sphere of tension that had been steadily forming finally dispersing at the return of his stuff, offering his cousin a pleased expression as thanks. Somewhere in the depths of his pockets his phone vibrated, pulling it out to check the text he received from Amanda. Nothing more than an image of a unicorn passing out. Rolling his eyes, he placed the device next to his medication, having charged it in the car since the very real teenage fear of having a dead cellular device had been imminent. 

“Gonna catch some Z’s. I’ll see you in the morning so rest well.” Kai yawned as he said this, winking ever so lazily in his direction before quietly exiting the room, leaving Leiss all to his lonesome. Refusing to reawaken those terrible thoughts, the blonde just turned on his side and finally surrendered to the fatigue that’s been hounding him the whole time.

Not even three minutes went pass and he was out like a light.

 

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

 

_ “...Just one look at you…” _

A sleepy groan. A half-hearted flutter of heavy lids.

_ “...And I know it’s gonna be…” _

Sounded like it was time to go to school. Five more minutes though…

_ “...A lovely day…” _

Yeah, five more minutes wouldn’t hurt.

_ “...A lovely day…” _

Bill Withers  _ Lovely Day  _ was able to play almost in its entirety before Leiss jumped out the bed, searching for where his dresser was only to blink uncomprehendingly when it wasn’t in its usual spot. Or his hairbrush for that matter which he usually left on his desk to help tame his unflattering bedhead. And why was he still in his outside clothes? 

Seconds away from being overwhelmed, it took a moment for Leiss to center himself and reevaluate why things weren't where they were supposed to be, sitting back with a sigh that got smothered in his palms. Right, kicked out. That room didn’t belong to him anymore. This one—with its blue walls and basic decorations—was his now out of a kind gesture from his cousin. And he didn’t have to go to school anymore because he technically didn’t live in that area. Highschool dropout would look wonderful on his resume... All of these negative realizations weren’t the healthiest way to start the morning, grabbing his phone and quieting it before it could start the next iteration of the same song. It was 6:45. If things had been normal, his routine would’ve been 45 minutes behind.

Dismissing all this unimportant nonsense for now, desiring to get out his not-room, Leiss quietly proceeded to the living room, picking up the scent of food along the way. An unrecognizable, high-energy song accompanied the smell, and the blond, led by his curiosity more than anything, hastened faster in that direction. The sight that greeted him probably would've been more pleasing to him if in fact the centerpiece wasn’t his blood relative.

Suspended in the air on his own violation, completely devoid of a shirt to expose rippling muscles covered in a sheen of perspiration, was Kai exercising vigorously with the help of a door frame pull-up bar. His lips were moving silently, probably keeping track of his repetitions as he lifted himself up and down like a well-oiled machine, abdominal and back muscles flexing as they working in unison. He didn’t seem to be aware of his presence seeing as his back was turned and the music was somewhat loud. Even so, Leiss was finding it hard to even work himself up to get his attention, not sure if he wanted to interrupt and disturb the show. Not that he should be enjoying it, mind you. Sure he was gay but not gay enough that he should enjoy the eye-candy that was his cousin.

That was a no-go. And we  _ never  _ cross that line.

Still...that didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate the sight for what it was, quietly walking past so he could get to the kitchen. Would seem that the killer bird from last night was nowhere to be seen so he wasn’t in any danger of being pecked to death. 

“Morning Sunshine. You can help yourself to breakfast. I made some pancakes, bacon and eggs. There’s some orange juice in the fringe if you want a drink with that. I’ll join you after this set.”

Somehow his cousin had noticed him but Leiss let it go in favor of pursuing substance, noticing with a raised brow that Kai had made a surplus of food. Was he expecting to feed a village? Not that he was complaining or that his appreciation diminished even in the slightest, but it was quite a lot. Not to mention he didn’t eat bacon...not that his cousin would know. Luckily Kai wasn't the type to be easily offended by something small like that, helping himself to generous portions of fried eggs and pancakes so he could sit at the table. A couple of minutes later and his cousin had made himself a plate—two actually. He sat down, minus a shirt and a lack of concern in regards to this.

Leiss couldn’t help but comment. “Not done with the fanservice I see?” As he said this, he pointedly gestured to Kai’s state of undress, his tone teasing.

Slate-greys blinked, not missing a beat. “Eating shirtless is part of the fanservice.”

“You must have all the ladies at your door.”

“Nah, just two.” Noticing that Leiss hadn’t actually expected a literal answer, Kai chewed his food thoughtfully, swallowing before flashing a devilish grin. “If your curious to whom I refer to then I don’t mind telling you. Number 1 is my girlfriend, of course. Second is Xena.”

“The bird?” Leiss questioned in disbelief, throwing a glance over at the still empty perch.

This time, Kai did look offended. “Xena’s not just some bird—she’s a golden eagle, get it straight. And she’s my buddy. If your going to live here, you and her are going to have to make friends.”

A freaking eagle...in a two bedroom apartment? His cousin must have lost his mind. Deceptively calm in spite of the fact he was restlessly pushing his poor eggs around the plate, Leiss said in a even voice, “Why do you even have an eagle? I’m not sure people normally have them for apartment living.” Or any type of living really.

“She was a special gift,” he answered stiffly, daring Leiss to say anything in opposition to that fact, surprising the younger male at his seriousness. “So I consider her family, like you. Okay?”

It wasn’t really a question; Kai was rather clear in his expectations and he didn’t have any choice but to respect them if he wanted to live here. “Yes of course. I’m sure me and her will get along splendidly.”

“Awesome, because she’ll be back soon after she finishes hunting. She’ll be keeping you company for most of today.”

“You...let her fly around here, unsupervised?” Leiss refused to keep the incredulity out of his tone, feeling like his eye was a blink away from twitching.

Taunt lips pouted slightly while his cousin stared petulantly at him. “Hey, she needs to be actively stimulated! Boredom is a thing you know? I try not to feed her by hand all the time so she doesn't get too lazy. She needs to stretch her wings every now and then. Besides, she’s well trained, I assure you.”

“Right,” Leiss deadpanned, unconvinced. “I take it your leaving if it's just going to be me and her today?”

Thankful for the change of topic, finishing his second plate as he sat back and munched on a piece of bacon, Kai regarded him cooly if not a little apologetic. “Unfortunately, yes. I have to go to work. I know you wanted to play catch up…”

“Don’t worry about it. What is it that you do?”

For some reason, the curly haired blond appeared to struggle with an answer before he conceded and lamely said, “Law Enforcement.”

Rather vague wasn’t it?

“Police work? A detective maybe…?”

“Something like that,” he acquiesced offhandedly, wordlessly excusing himself as he gathered their plates in order to rinse them off to place them in the dishwasher. Whatever he did for a living, he didn’t seem keen on divulging that information without some hardcore prying. Maybe he was ashamed? Regardless, Leiss respected his desire to withhold any details about his occupation—an eye for an eye since that same restraint was granted to him yesterday. Still, he was rather curious, but there would be time for snooping later, perhaps. For now, he was content on helping his cousin clean up their rather delightful meal, both of them descending into a amicable silence. At some point, Kai had turned on the television for some background noise and Leiss busied himself with that once everything was cleaned. His cousin, ontheotherhand, excused himself in order to take a quick shower. And seriously meant quick because he was back in the living room in no less than 10 minutes, fully clothed. The only way you could tell he showered was the retention of moisture in his hair and the smell of some nice cologne clinging to his body. For someone going to work, he was dressed rather casually in a brown jacket, shirt, and dark-blue jeans.

“Heading out already?” Leiss inquired warmly, glancing at his phone to notice that it was about 10:30.

“Mmm, yeah. Shouldn’t take so long—well I should be back early.” As he said this, he walked to the big window the perch was next to, opening it wide. “Ah, and do me a favor and stay in today.”

Odd. “Why? Is there something wrong?”

“Nah...just that I don’t have a spare key for you or anything like that yet. Plus I haven’t shown you around town and I don’t want you to get lost or anything.”

Sounded like excuses. Poor ones at that. “I’m not a child you know. I would like to think I can conduct myself in an adult manner.”

“Yes I know your wearing big boy underwear now but please do your cousin this favor? It would give me peace of mind. Please?” The plea was complete with your basic puppy dog eyes and a quivering bottom lip, a sight that was so comical that Leiss didn’t know whether to laugh or roll his eyes. Before he could come up with an answer a blood curdling  _ screech  _ approached the window in sync with a massive silhouette, causing Leiss’s breath to catch in his throat. 

Considerably large, brown wings that were so dark they appeared black folded as golden colored talons—or rather talon sunk into the wood of the window sill while the other was elevated just a bit. Snared in those raptor claws was a long-dead rodent, dangling lifelessly as the bird tried to make itself comfortable on its landing pad, cocking its dark-brown head this way and that, studying its surroundings with all the acuity of a vaunted bird of prey. A lidless eye flickered cursorily at him before shifting back towards the young man who was practically cooing at her, kneeling so they could be eye level. Leiss didn’t know how to fathom what he was seeing and for the sanctity of his mind, he didn’t try to.

“Hey baby, you brought me back a little gift huh,” Kai hummed in delight as he reached a hand towards the bird’s kill, swearing darkly when Xena screeched again and buffeted him with her wings, causing him to take a step back, scowling darkly. “Fine then, be a bitch. See if you get any treats from me later.” And as if the animal understood, it gave a quiet chirp of nonchalance as it winged to its perch, proceeding to devour the morsal trapped in its clutches. Meanwhile, Leiss remained safety on the sofa, having watched the whole exchange with wide eyes. Looking fairly insulted, Kai shout him a sour look, “I’ll see you later, Leiss. Just stay inside for today, okay?”

Not even waiting for a confirmation, Kai exited the apartment in a near blink of an eye, leaving the blond to himself if you didn’t count the hunter of the sky picking it at its meal. He resisted all impulses to stare but apart him thought that would be rude—why? It was just a bird. Granted a dangerous bird that was probably large enough to carry a human baby away if it so choose. It was a rather scary thought so in the end, he decided to give the eagle a wide, respectful berth and proceeded to lose himself in daytime television. It wasn’t often that he got the opportunity to do so but he couldn’t say he agreed with the circumstances that allowed him the opportunity to do so. A rather large part of him kind of was restless to the fact he should be in his Composition class right about now. Maybe ignoring the crumpled up paper from Cole who probably threw it at his neck. Or maybe finishing the incomplete sketch of himself and Erik snuggled up under the cedar tree in the national park—

Leiss took a deep breath.

Counted backwards from ten.

And decided to play a mobile game. There were some units that needed to be fused and if that wasn’t the most boring, time-consuming thing to ever do in a video game he didn’t know what was (AKA grinding).

In the end though, even if his brain kind of turned to mush and he was hallucinating that the damn eagle was watching him, Leiss was happy to say he spent about three hours being occupied in this way. By the time he was finished, he didn’t notice that it was 2:44 in the afternoon and his stomach was speaking in tongues, trying creatively to convey hunger. 

Of course Kai still wasn’t back yet. Not that he actually gave any indication of when he would be back though but thats okay. 

Sighing, not really knowing what to do with himself, Leiss got off the couch to stretch out his legs if anything, joints and cartilage protesting at having been in the same position for three hours straight. Maybe he should go get something to eat? He was hungry but at the same time, he didn’t have much of an appetite if that made any sense. Not really, but gross negligence on his part towards his body wouldn’t do him any favors when he got older, so he shuffled over to the fridge, yawning. There was a lot of stuff but he was too lazy to prepare anything...so apple it was.

A noise of pleasure escaped his lips at the first bite into that shiny crimson surface, finding his way back in the living room, this time in front of the window that was a couple of feet away from Xena’s window. Speaking of the bird, the creature seemed to have drifted off into sleep. Or was just not moving. Or something. Leiss wasn’t brave enough to go check so he just stared longingly out the window. 

Kai’s apartment was located on the fifth floor so it afforded him a nice view of the town. From his understanding, or what he was able to understand from his cousin’s poor explanation, Woodcrest was an assortment of slightly separated towns with varying degrees of urbanization. This town was fairly congested with medium-to-small size buildings, a place for privately owned business to flourish. Yet it wasn’t suffocating; everything wasn’t on top of each other so he was able to people watch from his spot. Children were beginning to come home from school so he was able to see little groups of them walking home. Apparently there was a high school around here because he was able to see some older kids (maybe about his age) goofing around. Then maybe...just maybe, Erik was here too—

No. What was the point of getting his hopes up? 

Suddenly finding himself in a bad mood, Leiss was about to turn away when a flash of something impossible skated in his peripheral. More than a little startled, wide hazels searched the sparse streets for what drew his attention, heart tightening in his chest, lungs threatening to collapse. No...it couldn’t be…

Erik?

It had to be him; that crimson football jersey, messy, black tousled hair; even his lax posture was the same. He was standing at a traffic light, waiting till it was safe to cross the road, lost in the tunes being fed to him by his headphones. He looked as if he didn’t have a care in the world; he looked like the same wild boy that he loved. Leiss couldn’t stay here— _ refused  _ to stay here when Erik was just so close. He could finally ask why they haven’t been able to talk lately or just...ask how’s he been? How’s the new school? Tell him that his father wanted to kill him and he was leeching off his cousin now. Okay maybe not that part...not yet anyway. Point was, Erik was out there and he was trapped in here.

And he should be out there, with Erik.

Even though the logically-inclined portion of his mind just suggested that he call Erik on his phone right now and just ask him to meet him there, Leiss was kind of still susceptible to the aftereffects of the emotional rollercoaster he was still recovering from. Basically a lack of impulse control for him, a lack of forethought. But he could care less right now as he grabbed his phone, toed on his sneakers and ran out the door in five seconds. He took the stairs two at a time, flying really as so many emotions directed him, knowing that all would be calm if he could just talk to his best friend. Just hear his voice again. A part of him reeled with guilt at neglecting Kai’s request, but at least he had the decency to lock the door. Not that it made it right...but it was something.

Willing his guilty feelings away for now, Leiss exited the building with all the urgency of a man in pursuit of a rare treasure, running around the building in record time to the street where he saw Erik. And of course, like every cliche in the book, the guy wasn’t there. But Leiss was tenacious if anything, so he jogged a block down, a little winded, turning his head this way and that, looking for that flash of red. After a moment of looking, he saw Erik walking down a less crowded street at a steady pace, hands in his pocket, completely to himself. Before he could stop himself, Leiss yelled:

“Erik!”

Yet the other didn’t hear him, lost in the world of music. Frowning the blond picked up his pace, panicking for a hot second when he lost sight of the guy after he made another turn somewhere. Just where in the hell was he going? Many questions filled him but he saved them for another time, taking the turn that his friend did. It was an alleyway of sorts, filled with your typical alley things like garbage cans, a couple of homeless animals, and a brick wall that clearly said dead end. Erik paused when he got to the wall, taking off his headphones, but not doing anything else. Once again, Leiss called for him, literally only a couple of feet behind him so his voice was much softer:

“Erik…?”

His friend stiffened, then turned slowly.

Leiss let out a strangled sob, meeting those verdant-green hues. It was him. God, _ it was him. _

His body moved on its own accord, instinct causing him to wrap lean arms around that hard body when he collided into it, sending them falling back against the wall. The body underneath him was warm and muscled—just like he remembered. And those eyes, those burning, sea-green orbs still were able to compliment that equally warm smile. He had a strange smell about him though, something that he couldn’t quite place, but it was oddly intoxicating. It didn’t matter though...they were together again.

“Where have you been, you dolt? You would think to contact your best friend every now and then? Or did you not learn your lesson?” Leiss teased with a laugh, even though he was half-serious.

Erik just blinked innocently at him, hands coming to cup one side of Leiss’s cheek while the other played with the hair on the nape on his neck, smiling at the small shiver that went through that lean body. Still, he didn’t speak. Yet Leiss, distracted by their closeness and the intianted contact, didn’t think anything strange of it. Nor of how his friend swapped their positions around till his back was flush with the cold wall, missing that uncomparable warmth. Bewildered hazels fluttered as a pale throat swallowed dryly, pink lips parting to say words but quieting when a calloused thumb brushed across the slightly dry skin of his bottom lip. It felt like his heart would beat out of his very chest from how desperately it was banging against his chest cavity. They were...they were so close…! And that smell, it was so sweet…

“E-Erik…,” the utterance was soft and fluttery like a baby bird’s heartbeat, swallowing again as that gaze became half-lidded, a silent intent behind their smoldering depths. Was he...was he inching closer? Did he intend to kiss him? This must be a dream...a beautiful, impossible dream.  _ Please don’t wake me up. Don't ever wake me up _ , he quietly begged as those tempting lips inched ever so closely, head tilted ever so slightly,  _ perfectly  _ angled—

_...Click… _

What?

_ Bam! _

What sounded like a mini explosion ricocheted off the walls as the handsome face in front of him literally combusted, blood, fluid and gore splattering him and the wall behind him as he yelled in horror. Erik’s body stood there clumsy for a moment till its hands...impossibly began searching for its head in the ruined mess where its neck was in the most disturbing fashion. Impossibly, it staggered back, shuddering violently as muscle, sinew, and bone began reforming itself till Leiss was able to make out rust-colored skin and a horrid mouth before the body got blasted back again by another mini explosion. This time, with the resuracfincing of its mouth, Erik(?) was able to let out a painfully, eerie wail as it convulsed violently on the ground, a hole bigger than a basketball directly in its chest. It did that for a full minute before it stopped completely, a copious amount of viscous liquid streaming from it.

Leiss blinked.

Once.

_ Twice _ .

He made a move towards the body, brain in shock, not comprehending. Erik…?

“Fuck Leiss, are you okay? Hey, don’t go near it!”

That voice...Kai?

Just as he even thought of that name, hands roughly grabbed his shoulders to spin him around, coming face to face with a black robed figure with a metallic half-mask in the shape of a bird peeking from underneath a dark cowl. Leiss reacted without thinking, screaming and thrashing against that steelily hold, yelling near incoherences. “Y-You killed him!  _ Oh god _ you killed him! L-Let me go...l-let me go—!”

“Dammit Leiss its me, Kai!” As he declared this, voice sharp, a hand came to quickly remove the mask from his face, revealing an urgent faced young man who looked like he was this close to losing it himself. “I told you to stay home! Why didn't you listen!?”

But his brain wasn’t functioning as it usually did, not making the connections it should. He spoke again, babbling, tears finally falling from his eyes to mix messily with whatever nastiness was on his face. “Kai...you...why? Why did...you kill him? How could you?”

Something seemed to click in his cousin’s brain as his face darkened with understanding. With a firmness that wouldn’t bend to any struggle, he turned that messy face towards the thing that nearly fooled him, voice a low growl. “Does that look like someone you know? Because I’m sure someone you know wouldn’t have been trying to  _ eat your face _ .”

Leiss didn’t want to look but his cousin’s grip was unyielding, a groan of nausea leaving him as he once again looked at the creature that he mistook for his best friend. It made him wonder how he ever could mistake something so hideous to be Erik? The head hadn’t fully finished reforming so it was like looking at some inside out organic monstrosity with partial skin growth sprinkled haphazardly about it, which was as wrinkled as raisins. Christ and that  _ mouth _ ! It was more like a gaping hole filled with layers of needle-like teeth, making him doubly sick at realizing he was about to kiss  _ that _ . Yet the rest of the monstrosity ended there because it still had Erik’s body from the neck down. Blood, so thick and putrid smelling, seeped endlessly from the gaping hole exposing viscera and torn ligaments, blacker than ink—than anything he’s ever seen. 

Leiss blinked again, unable to stop himself from retching as he tore himself from his cousin, body bending, squeezing his eyes closed away from his emptied stomach contents. At the feel of a comforting hand on his back, rubbing soothingly in a circular fashion, the tears poured down with renewed vigor.

“...Leiss...I know its...but…”

Why did Kai sound so far away?

“Going to...you…”

Why did he feel so...weak?

“...Leiss…!”

Dizzy, strength leaving him, the overwhelmed teenager felt his legs buckle underneath him as hands caught him, leaving him to stare unseeingly into a concerned, attractive face. Those lips uttering something and the cry of a bird was the last thing he heard before he passed into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed it! Let me know in your comments haha.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long. Had exams and other life things happen but should be good now. Once again...chapter length grew out of my control again >_>

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_“He who angers you conquers you.”_ **— Elizabeth Kenny**

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Vanilla and almonds.

Why did that...why did that smell like home?

The comforting scent of vanilla, and the nutty earthiness of almonds, was wrapped so snugly around his being that Erik, for the life him, could hardly bring himself to open his eyes without the utmost of resistance. It was a scent he was accustomed to for far longer than he could remember, yet he couldn’t recall that being the first thing he normally was exposed to upon waking up. Curious now, if not a little hopeful, Erik found himself rousing with more effort, not quite remembering if he had slept under the covers once he sat up with some of the blankets spilling about his waist. Nor if he had went to sleep without his clothing on. Nor the fact that there was an extra source of heat next to him.

Alarmed now, verdant-green hues swiveled frantically onto the the body next to him.

His breath hitched.

_ Impossible. _

Leiss, in all his unconscious loveliness, was laying innocently next to him, golden hair falling lackadaisical in his face, expression peaceable save for the cute frown twitching at the corner of his lips as if he was criticizing someone even in his dreams. The blankets were draped suggestively along his waist through no fault off his own—Erik could surmise it had something to do with him (wild sleeper) but  _ how? _ Skin the color of polished ivory appeared mouthwatering under the gaze of moonlight, tinged with random scatterings of reddish, crescent-shaped bruises that trailed from the neck to disappear suggestively underneath the sheets. A particular scent—his  _ scent— _ was wrapped like a cocoon around the blond, meshing tantalizing with the aroma of sex, sweat, and pleasure. 

Erik swallowed dryly, at a lost for words.

No they couldn’t have  _ possibly— _

“Mmm...Erik?”

Slowly blinking hazel orbs were glazed with a layer of lingering sleepiness as that limber body stretched alluringly, the covers shifting ever so dangerously lower till Erik couldn’t help but avert his gaze, as if he was afraid to violate his friend’s modesty. Fingers found their way underneath his chin in playful defiance, a warm chuckle to accompany them as his eyes were forced to meet inquisitive, yet playful amber orbs. Those pink lips parted temptingly, bringing to light just how full and kissable they were. And the urge was there; just to cup that face and give into the hunger that began stirring within the moment he realized that Leiss and he were sharing the same bed. The urge to devour, to bite, to  _ claim— _

“You okay? It’s not like you to wake up randomly in the night.”

It just came to Erik’s attention that it was in fact nighttime, taking the chance to absorb their surroundings, not recognizing any of the furnishings. More questions than he could count bombarded him but he pushed them aside, focusing more on the situation at hand where there was a naked Leiss and an equally naked him. Trying his best not to startle his friend who was regarding him like he banged his head, the wolf smiled with a fair bit of uncertainty, hesitantly coming to wrap strong fingers around a fine-boned wrist. Had his skin always been so...so warm? It was maddening.

“Yeah, I’m fine just...” Erik trailed off, trying to work out what needed to be said. Leiss, ever so patient, smiled encouragingly, shifting closer, the movement causing that intoxicating scent to flare up. The wolf sucked in a breath, willing himself to concentrate, to not be distracted by lovingly bitten skin and the telling line of gold under his navel that disappeared underneath the sheets. “How did we get like this?”

“Get like what exactly?” Leiss didn’t like being confused; it showed in his voice and how a delicate brow arched critically. 

For some reason, the wolf found himself flushing in embarrassment, the color rising along his throat faster as his friend(?) made a soft noise at the display, those observant eyes telling him wordlessly the other found that unbelievable cute. Albeit more than a little abashed, Erik tried his best to be a little more articulate for the sake of his friend. “Ah...you know, naked. In the same bed.” Tried was the key word; he seriously couldn’t overcome their state of undress or the proximity of his friend for whom he was having increasingly morbid thoughts of the sexual kind.

Maybe the blond could sense Erik’s confusion or perhaps was taking pity on him for one of his moments of dysfunction for he scooted a little closer till their thighs were touching and Erik could literally bury his face in the milky expanse of Leiss’s throat if he so desired. And he desired that...very much so. “Well I would think married couples typically ended up in bed together...but that’s beside the point. Seriously, you don’t remember what we did an hour ago? You can really look all over my body if your having that big of a brain fart—that’s the biggest hint I’m going to give you.”

_ Married? _

Since...since when? Surely, he would’ve remembered something like that; sure he had his dunce moments but he would like think he wasn’t foolish enough to forget his own wedding. With his best friend no less! If they were married, then surely, that would mean they had feelings for each other right? But...but he wasn’t gay right? He didn’t like Leiss in that way? Apparently so if they were married and used to… Erik felt the crimson in his skin deepen at the furtive glance he gave that marked body, feeling something growl in satisfaction at the sight, suddenly desiring to renew the markings, so everyone could see whom this beautiful blond belonged to—

Erik closed his eyes, willing himself to calm down, to not lose it.

Well it was clear: he was royally fucked up. Maybe... _ just maybe _ he liked his friend more than he thought.

“Your looking rather pitiful Erik. Let me...let me help you remember then.”

When Erik opened his eyes again, the boy that brought that surge of complex emotions upon his heart, was so close now that he could literally feel their lips millimeters from touching, lean arms draped amorously about his shoulders, shapely legs straddling his hips. He was so close; could feel the warmness seeping from savory skin into his own; could feel the pounding of that strong heart against his breast; the heated weight of his cock pressing against his own through the thin layer of the sheets. And those eyes—those smoldering, intense eyes—peered so deeply into his own that Erik felt like he was being consumed into their depths. He was at a loss for words; Erik so desperately wanted to say words; to question things; to say  _ please don’t go _ over and over till they were shackled together for all eternity. This...whatever this was, it felt right. Unquestionably so.

Leiss hummed lowly in his throat, his eyes becoming downcast as he angled his head just the slightest bit, so their lips could meet in blissful unity. Euphoria exploded throughout Erik’s body at the gentle slide of those soft lips again his own, feeling the beast inside howl in longing and pleasure, unable to stop himself from wrapping strong arms around that pliant body, crushing them together. A noncommittal sound of agreement thrummed throughout that milky throat as lean fingers found its way into his messy hair, the other laying across his pectorals to tease the skin there and torment a pert nipple mercilessly. Trials of cold fire were left in their wake and Erik growled instinctively, teeth finding a succulent bottom lip and biting gently, wanting entrance into that moist cavern. A chuckle and a breathy sigh later and their tongues were gliding slowly against each other, tasting each other in a familiar dance till they needed to breathe and went back at it again and again.

It felt like Erik was  _ dying _ ; painfully slow, enslaved to the scent of his lover, tasting vanilla and almonds even as they kissed and touched. He could smell how aroused the other male was, the headiness of it causing the wolf in him to salivate, yearning to do things he never imagined before. Could feel the evidence of it in that weeping cock leaving fluid along his stomach with each subtle roll of sensuous hips, hear it in each sharp intake of breath at the pleasurable, torturous friction. Did he really cause Leiss to be like this? This sexual, panting creature that separated their lips and regarded him with a heated, half-lidded gaze, resting his head languidly against a defined chest. Enthralled, Erik made a move downwards, curious about that throbbing organ between them, to see how it felt in his hand, maybe even  _ taste it— _

The blond huffed quietly as he intercepted Erik’s wrist in mid-motion, shaking his head, a silent intent behind that sultry-eyed gaze. “Mmn, no love. This time...it's about you. Let...let me show you…” As he said this, the words drifting off unfinished as he placed a chaste kiss against the pulse point in Erik’s wrist, he was subtly encouraging his lover to lay down till he was propped up against the pillows, forest-green orbs staring up at the blond with a strained expression. Satisfied, Leiss smirked almost devilishly, easing himself down the path of toned legs till Erik began to understand. His heart sped up a little, a flustered panic causing him to almost shift away.

“H-Hey, you don’t have to do that—”

“This wouldn’t be the first time, so relax. Besides, its nothing I haven’t seen before,” comforted the blond patiently, removing the covers from Erik’s waist in an almost exaggerated fashion, to emphasise that this was indeed normal. The wolf flushed in embarrassment at the fond expression on the other’s face, digging his fingers into the mattress below him at the weight of that indulgent gaze on his cock that was just as flushed as he was. He didn’t know why he was embarrassed—it was perhaps the lamest thing to do in this situation. Yet Leiss was ever so calm, every so patient in how he took the lead. But Erik was alpha; he was supposed to be the dominant one leading this age-old dance. Yet the voice that normally echoed this was quiet and recessive, content to let things occur in this fashion. Content to watch how kiss-swollen lips parted around the head of his cock and  _ engulfed _ him—

Erik moaned helplessly, having been a hairs breath from cuming right then and there, all control foregone.

Even though Leiss implied this isn’t anything new, even if a part of him echoed that sentiment, the feeling was still indescribable and incredibly new. That warm, moist cavern was all luscious and soft, that tongue ever so talented as it played against the head and traveled along his shaft. Erik moaned again, this time a quiet, insufferable sound as Leiss continued on with his ministrations unsympathetically, bobbing his head methodically and applying just the right amount of suction at all the right times. His fingers wrapped around what his mouth didn’t reach; lightly stroking the bulbous gland at the base, knowing that it was just as sensitive as the rest of his cock. 

Had Erik been in his right mind he probably would be reeling at how Leiss didn’t react poorly to such an odd addition to his genitals. But he was gone, lost in the rapture of that working mouth, at the sight of his blond lewdly sucking him off like an expert. That sultry gaze would ensnare his every other second, watching how he made the wolf come undone, how he made him writhe. And then the sucking and licking would slow, and Erik would be  _ dying  _ all over again, almost lost enough to beg. Another languid stripe along his cock—from base to tip—and the wolf choked, unable to stop a hand from flying to sweaty tendrils.

“Leiss...Leiss…” Words were hard again, pleasure and heat making it difficult to think as sweat-tinged muscles twitched involuntary throughout his body, feeling that raising bundle of pleasure coiling thunderously in his lower body. But that word—he knew that word, that beautiful, wonderful word. The name of his mate. It was the only one that mattered, the only one that both sides of himself recognized. Verdant-green hues fluttered feverishly, meeting that keen, downcast gaze as Leiss sped up his movements just a little bit, fingers kneading the knot at his husband’s dick as if encouraging it to swell. No, no, only inside. He would knot him when his mate was on his knees, sobbing from pleasure, begging for his knot and seed like a good little submissive. And as if hearing his thoughts, Leiss moaned wantonly around his dick in agreement, the vibrations too much as his body arched and he  _ howled— _

And woke up.

Startled.

Had that all...just been a dream?

Erik, not understanding why he was feeling like he just got cheated, allowed himself to sit up in his bed, wincing at the telltale sign of cooling stickiness inside his pajama pants. Stickiness that was there because of a incredibly lewd dream. A lewd dream about his best friend. Was that normal, dreaming about your male best friend?  _ Probably not,  _ Erik thought bitterly as he moved to head towards the bathroom, not knowing how to sort out his feelings about the whole thing. The whole lingering erection thing wasn’t helping and he was a little more dismayed at how  _ much _ he came when he pulled off his clothings. This wasn’t right; he shouldn’t be dreaming about getting a blowjob from his friend or being married to him for that matter. Yet, did he honestly think that? Was it truly so horrible if he and Leiss...were together?

The whole prospect threw his mind into disarray, staring dully at the tile of the shower wall as the cool spray cleansed his body. Erik knew for a fact that he wasn’t attracted to males but...was it possible to just be attracted to one person? If that was the case, that would mean he wasn’t actually  _ gay,  _ just gay for this one guy right? As if answering his unvoiced query, he felt the beastial part of himself purr approvingly, as if it had reached this conclusion a long time ago. Well, that was that then? He officially liked Leiss—maybe more than that but the prospect needed some nurturing. He still needed to think on it just a little longer before he acknowledged anything final.

Once he was clean and his brain found some semblance of peace, Erik was out of the shower, moisture still dripping from his hair with a white towel snug around his waist. Coming back to his room, he finally decided to give the stuff that was on his desk some attention, furrowing his brow as he examined each item.

A box containing several uniforms (seriously?); a white cardkey; and a paper listing his curricialm with a note attached to the back. Curious, sea-green hues scanned the document’s contents:

_ Dear Mr. Adolphus, _

_ I hereby welcome you to Romulus and Remus Academy for the Gifted on the behalf of the committee and myself. It has come to our attention that your circumstances are extremely different from the normal applicants of this school due to your status as a Stray. Because of said status, you may find some of your earlier days here hampered by some unfortunate occurrences on the account of other students—and we do apologize for that in advance. However, as you become more ingrained in the culture here and prove your worth to being apart of the Pack, you will find your stay most enjoyable. In the meantime, try to adjust to your new life here to the best of your capacity; know that you're always being judged.  _

_ In regards to your classes, you will find some familiar to you but for the others, likely not. This is acceptable of course because certain measures have been taken so that you may be caught up to your peers. This takes the shape in afternoon, private classes from one of the school’s Special Education Instructors, Mr. Kurt, until he deems your knowledge permissible enough to warrant no extra classes. Should he determine that your education is progressing poorly/does not meet expectations, corrective actions may be taken that could result up to expulsion. Please approach these classes with the utmost seriousness to guarantee your success. _

_ If you have any further inquiries, you may reach me directly in my office where my secretary will be happy to schedule you an appointment. _

_ Regards, _ _  
_ _ Headmaster Conall _

That all basically translated to he wasn’t particularly welcome here; they were going to treat him as such; and he would have to take remedial classes because he was probably a hopeless case in their eyes. Sounded about right. The welcome committee when he first stepped on these grounds hadn’t been pleasant which matched the implied tone behind those words. At least he could appreciate their honesty; he would prefer any honest feelings were expressed directly and not in a passive aggressive manner. Erik thrived in adversity however; anything that ultimately proved to be challenging because sure enough, he didn’t want to be in this silly school in the first place. The least they could do for him was make it interesting. If they wanted to disrespect him because of some silly status that was apparently derogatory, then that was fine with him as well.

Even as he thought this to himself, his body was reacting to the aggressive tone of his thoughts in how he was roughly putting on his supplied uniform, growling lightly when he got into a disagreement with the tie. Annoyed, he threw the wretched thing across the room where it landed limply on one of the limbs of a three-armed light. Looking himself in the full-body mirror hanging on the back of his door, Erik fumbled a little with the collar till it was somewhat acceptable and not completely coordinated with the rest of the attire, finding the whole uniform thing ridiculous.

It consisted of a black blazer with gold trimmings; equally black slacks stylized in the same fashion as the jacket; a white-collared shirt with a gold wolf emblem on the collar; and the gold and white tie that he so casually discarded. The school was lenient enough that they were able to wear whatever footwear they wanted, so Erik opted for black and white tennis shoes. Seriously, were they grade schoolers or something? At least back in his old high school, they were allowed to express some individuality in their clothes. But this...well…

_ It sucked balls. _

Erik rolled his eyes after giving up fumbling with the buttons on the shirt, just electing to leave it open. It shouldn’t violate too many rules—not that he particularly cared. If he got kicked out, maybe he could go back to his normal life? It was a desperate thought, one he nourished for about five minutes before heading outside his room, taking a minimal amount of belongings that mostly summed up to whatever he could fit in his bag. The whole time he was awake, he did hear conversation coming from the rest of apartment, voices he attributed to his new...what was it? Packmates? He really wasn’t looking forward to interacting with them going from how yesterday’s experience went. But they were between him and the door so he didn’t have much of a choice.

So the wolf did his best schooling his expression into what he hoped was a fairly neutral expression as he stepped into the living room, noticing rather sourly how the conversation ceased the moment they acknowledged his presence. All four of them were sitting at the table in the kitchen, eating something that admittedly smelled appetizing. In spite of his cool exterior, he was uncomfortable with the varying gazes of regard he received, causing him to naturally be on edge, especially from the silent scorn behind a sharp onyx pair.

Erik felt the beginnings of the corners of his mouth starting to curl, the beast inside rousing, ready for a fight.

“Oh there he is; I guess he finished.”

“Took him a long time. I guess it was good.”

Lost, the new student blinked in confusion at the two girls—Ylva and Lovetta was it?—as they spoke after each other, one giggling while the other looked mildly disapproving. He didn’t get it, nor did he appreciate whatever silent joke was going on as the hostile one—Zayev—scoffed and went back to looking at his plate of meat, half expecting it to sizzle from the fevur of that gaze. The omega, Seff, was looking at him with interest, despite his expression being somewhat unreadable. At a glance, he seemed unaffected by what transpired between them yesterday, but his scent held hintings of reproach. Not that Erik cared; he didn’t really want the blond doing that weird thing he did with his scent again to seduce him. It wasn’t normal...it wasn’t human. 

_ But they weren’t human,  _ something whispered objectively in his ear, mockingly.  _ And you aren't either. _

Chasing those unwanted thoughts away, Erik, after some consideration and receiving no signs that what he was about to do was ill-advised, decided to take a seat at the table, the two chairs next to him intentionally empty. Across from him were the two red heads who were sharing a look, Seff sitting quietly next to them as he cut a cube of meat from his portion. Zayev was at the head of the table (what a shocker), purposefully pretending he didn’t exist. Erik was okay with this because he was definitely not in the mood today and he was inwardly anticipating a fight.

“So me and my sister here had a bet—”

“—and we were hoping you might confirm it for us—”

“—just one little thing—”

“—if you don't mind.”

Erik brows furrowed as his eyes had darted between the two beta’s during the smooth transitions between their speech, having to process that the content was directed at him but the meaning remained ever lost in translation. Deciding to save himself from an incoming brain implosion, Seff kindly translated as simply as possible. “Just answer their question so they can stop talking. Their giving everyone a migraine.” Even though his tone was a little prostrated, there was a hint of attentiveness that hadn’t been there before, consciously ignoring the females pointing their tongues at him.

“Sure…”  _ I guess,  _ was added mentally as he didn’t know whether to smile or be apprehensive.

“So that name you were moaning in your room, did it start with a L—”

“—or a S? Five bucks says I’m right—”

“—Five says your wrong.”

They went into high-pitched bickering that was lost on the beyond mortified Erik as he looked away in embarrassment, refusing to meet curious, if not a little triumphant grey orbs as they searched his face. Instead, the onyx-eyed gaze of Zayev was his only alternative as the guy sneered antagonistically at him, helping himself to another helping of meat as he spat out, “Don’t really care who he’s wanking his dick to as long as it’s no one from the pack. If he wants to jerk off all day that's on him.”

“But we do!” Ylva and Lovetta exclaimed simountaously before Erik could respond, giving them a bewildering look. Had he...had he really been moaning in his sleep? 

As if reading his mind, Seff was finally able to catch his eye, a hint of amused sympathy lacing his voice. “Your pretty loud—not that that’s a bad thing.”

This was awful. He really wanted to throw himself from the nearest skyscraper and hope it killed him because this was near torture. Between the two girls arguing in detail about who he had been dreaming about; Seff being indulged at his expense; and Zayev glaring at him reproachfully, Erik didn’t know what was worse. Maybe, he should escape, with his tail between his legs and his dignity in question. He had about 20 minutes till it was time for some Math class that sounded vaguely familiar, and he was sure he would need more than that to find his way there. If this conversation hadn’t went completely to the left, Erik might’ve chanced asking these guys for directions, but they didn’t need more fuel to aid his distress. Maybe he should just grab a plate of food and go…

Swallowing down any crass things that he could possibly say here, Erik made a move of grabbing a spare plate and reaching with a fork for a piece of meat before Zayev got up, went to the opposite side of where Erik was at, and slammed his palm on the table, halting the attempt. Their eyes met, one growling whilst the other began to bare teeth, the tension between them nearly palpable. What the fuck was his problem?

“You don’t  _ eat  _ what you didn’t help  _ hunt _ .”

“What?” Erik snapped, not understanding. Hunt? Didn’t the school provide the food? Angered, Erik rose to his feet so they were eye level, plate and utensils discarded so he could shove his hands into his pockets, bristling. “You telling me I can’t eat food provided by the school? What kind of dumb shit is that?”

Zayev sneer grew more distasteful as he pulled back, sensing that their substance wasn’t endangered by this outsider anymore. “Can’t hear or are you too stupid to process what I just said? You didn’t hunt it, so you don’t get to eat it.”

“You have ten seconds to apologize before your head ends up through that wall,” threatened Erik lowly, his body already tensing to put words into action, watching as the other’s stance widened, adjusted. He was ready too.

“Try me, Stray. I wouldn’t mind beating you into submission.”

“Can we not do this right now? I just wanted a nice, regular breakfast with the pack. We can measure whose dick is bigger later okay, gentlemen?” Seff interrupted sarcastically, sighing as he pushed his plate away, looking as if he lost his appetite. 

“I wanted to see blood…,” muttered Lovetta darkly, crossing her arms with a pout.

“Lovetta, ssh!” 

At the exaggerated, quieting motion from her sister, Seff just shook his head tiredly, returning his attention back towards the two alpha’s whose bodies appeared to have gotten slightly less tense. If anything, Zayev downgraded back to his normal, distasteful glower that he saved especially for their new member while the other feigned nonchalance, even if his scent still contained a hint of hostility within it. Good; their bickering was going to get old real fast and he seriously wouldn’t be able to do breakfast if they were going to be like this  _ every time _ . Opening his mouth to say one more thing, this time hopefully a little less terse than the last, Seff knit his brows when their blue-haired alpha beat them to it, his voice suddenly cold.

“He isn’t part of the pack and he never will be so he’s going to have to fend for himself.”

Erik’s voice was just as cold if not colder. “It’s not like I wanted to be here. I don’t need you or anyone else to survive so what you said doesn’t pertain to me.”

“Erik—” Seff began as he got out his seat, throwing a heated look at the alpha who thrust his arm in front of him, preventing the blond from approaching. A low-pitch growl of dominance came from snarling lips, a silent order forbidding all belligerence or thoughts of interference.

Scoffing at the display, if not confirming something that he already knew since he got their, Erik gave them his back and walked out the front door, not looking back.

Yeah, he didn’t belong there, and he never would.

 

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

 

Fuck this day. Fuck this school.  _ Fuck everything _ .

Seriously.

Erik was seething as he rapidly scrubbed at a suspicious crimson stain in his blazer, watching angrily as the water in the boys bathroom sink bled pink. How was it that a subpar morning could spiral into something so shitty? His first day of this dumb school didn’t go without a hitch—make that a plural because there was more nonsense he could count. It would seem everyone and their mothers were attempting to estrange him or just make this whole going-to-a-werewolf-school experience as terrible as terrible could be.

After he had left the dorm in a churlish mood and actually ended up somewhat lost like it was preordained, he ended up in his first class for the day about 15 minutes late. No one had been keen on giving him directions; as soon as they caught even a whiff of his scent, a range of different reactions became something that ended up being normal up to this point. Some were indifferent; others rude; some apprehensive; none of anyone’s reactions were exactly welcoming. He didn’t understand what about his scent was so offensive—hell he had taken a shower. Just asking for simple directions to the Mathematics department shouldn't have been so difficult; it ended up inevitable being the causation of his lateness. It was a harsh lesson, one that he learned fast from upon finally getting to where he needed to be.

Everyone in this school didn’t want anything to do with him.

This was fine of course; to reiterate earlier...he didn’t   _ need _ anyone’s help to survive. But that didn’t make the openly hostile looks from some of his classmates any better though. Even the professor had regarded him with cold stoicism upon having him routinely introduce himself in class (a horror all within itself), like professionalism didn’t exist. He was directed to sit in a corner, probably away from everyone’s delicate sensibilities. That didn’t mean he escaped the jeers, the frequent glances over stiff shoulders, or the hushed whispers. Erik stopped paying attention to them after one particular comment about his mother caused him to jump from his seat infuriated, only for the professor to reprimand him with penalties of being sent out of the class. For the sake of not being expelled on his first day here, Erik had resumed sitting, the hushed whispers turning into a undercurrent of mean-spirited laughter. Strange how the teacher didn’t seem too hasty to calm them down, letting it carry on for some time before he began speaking again.

The letter had warned of hostilities, but Erik hadn’t expected it to be to this degree.

Still, he managed to keep his temper in check after that earlier outburst, close to losing it when someone had swiped his books to the ground when he bent down to grab something in his bag. But before he could react, the suspect was already gone and mingling with the crowd of departing students. The behaviour was childish, deplorable. But he wouldn’t let them see him crack; to show weakness.

The day had carried on to this tempo; mild disturbances in class from terrible people in the corridors; random crashes into his shoulder that almost staggered him; and the occasional profanity mixed with his endearing title “Stray” yelled at him in the hallways. Honestly, how was it that everyone knew? Even though his “packmates” and him weren’t exactly bosom buddies, he didn’t suspect that they would let what felt like the entire school know. It would have been very petty, and he didn’t take them for that type. Maybe Nathaniel let something slip? Once again, the guy didn’t strike him for that type; he seemed like he would rather be doing something else of self-import rather than wasting time spreading rumors about him. Then what though? How did they know? Was there an invisible sign hanging on his forehead? How?

Even though most of his time in class had been spent ruminating on this mystery and ignoring the glances in his direction, he hadn’t gotten any closer to the answer even at this point. Erik stopped caring because even if he found out how, there wasn’t an answer to how to stop it. So he just let it go and endured the treatment with a reward-worthy show of patience, once again reaching his breaking point during lunch.

A part of him didn’t even want to go into the cafeteria, even though the scents coming from there were absolutely divine, but he did, knowing full well that it was a proverbial suicide. The whole area was huge—no surprise there considering everything in this freaking school was huge. There were more students than he ever seen together at once, sitting in their respective groups or mingling with others. Somewhere a ways away, Erik saw what looked like his pack sitting together, chatting, not having noticed his presence or simply not caring to acknowledge it. Inexplicably, a moment of weakness surely, the wolf inside keened with longing, sitting in a growing pool of painful loneliness.  _ Pack was there...then why was he over here _ , it reasoned. 

With a snort of disgust he had turned away from them, longing more so for sustenance than companionship. 

Much to his surprise, he had been taken aback by the selection of food stuffs available, which had been neatly setup in rows in a buffet style arrangement. Not to mention, most of the meat was extremely rare if not raw and only lightly seasoned, but this had pleased him on a subconscious level. He had piled his plate full of meat, having eyed a secluded table not too far away where he could ignore the masses more easily. After all, would it be worth seeking him out if he was far away? 

At the time, Erik didn’t really have an answer to that question (and he didn’t find one later) so he just decided to go eat and sit after piling his plate with food. He didn’t even get a chance to take one step before someone randomly knocked his food right into his chest, staining his school uniform with whatever oozing fluid was coming out of the meat. Dumbfounded, he hadn’t reacted at all at first, staring at the culprit and shocked by the blatant display of cruelty. It was a chick, a bit shorter than him, sneering despite the false apology reflecting in her eyes. Everything about her had screamed that the whole thing had been intentional so the wolf made a move to lunge at her, his bullshit threshold reaching its limit. Yet he never reached her; a security guard (or whatever) had grabbed his arm in a iron hold before slamming it against his back while he held his shoulder.

Unbelievably, the security guy—dude, teacher, whatever—had found him at fault and promptly escorted him out of the cafeteria, saying to not come back till he changed his attitude. 

Translation: Don’t come back,  _ ever _ .

So he had been left to stand there in the hallway smelling like meat and bereft of a meal.

Suffice it to say, the day didn’t get any better and the jeers and cruel remarks only grew worse because now he smelled like a pile of meat to top off whatever he smelled like to them before. Honestly, the urge to leave and never comeback had been at a all time high; his pride was in tatters; and his dignity was smothered underneath a silly meat smell. How was it that you go from golden boy to the lowest level on the totem pole which apparently, could only continue to go lower. It was seriously un-fucking-believable.

And it was how he found himself in the boy's bathroom trying to get to the stain out of his blazer, failing rather spectacularly and probably making the problem a lot worse. The frustration was tantamount to how ridiculously tall Mt. Everest was and the wet spot from before grew so much that now the whole thing was just damp from his poor scrubbing. This was dumb. And he was at the point where he just didn’t  _ care _ anymore. It was the end of the day now; he didn’t have anymore classes save for the special education one and he was honestly considering just skipping that all together. Why should he go? All the classes today had been nothing he hasn’t seen before. Certainly, they didn’t think he was that dumb that he needed more lessons on Math or Composition? 

Yet he knew if he did avoid it, that would just show that he was a coward—and he certainly wasn’t a coward by any means. He didn’t want to let them win, to show that they were getting underneath his skin. Plus…there was expulsion from this rotten school to consider. 

Not that he cared...but Erik didn’t really want to cause anymore trouble for his mother.

So he let that be the thing to calm him down, to put a balm on his tired, uncertain psyche as he walked out of the bathroom with a damp blazer in his grasp. Strange how it was only 5ish or so and the hallways were fairly sparse, seeing only a couple of students here or there. Weren’t there extracurricular activities still going on? Once again, this oddity suited him nicely so he didn’t question it longer than he needed to, turning his eyes onto the sorry, slightly wet piece of paper that hadn’t fared well in his cleaning crusade. He squinted a little to make out the dribbling, inky black text with the room number to where his “special” lessons were to be taken place. Building E, Room B101. He had a faint idea where building E was (his government class had been in that building) and he could only assume B meant basement.

Apparently, his hunch was right because 10 minutes later, with only five minutes before it hit 6:00 P.M, he was right in front of the door. Doctor Wilhelm Kurt was inscribed in a shiny gold plaque on the door that’s probably been polished more times than it should have been. Erik didn’t know whether to scoff or knock and was just about to consider leaving when an impatient, fairly accented voice interjected him:

“I know you're out there; I can smell you from miles away.”

Erik frowned, holding back a snide comment as he allowed himself in after the rather rude invitation, hesitantly peeking his head through the door as if scoping out the premise for any traps. He was quite weary from all the shenanigans he had been put through throughout the day so you couldn’t blame him for the paranoia. Of course, the sole occupant of the room found this to be nonsensical as he made a scoffing noise, regarding the new denizen with veiled contempt. A cursory whiff of the air told Erik further emotions that was disguised in that scent as well, not understanding why he suddenly didn’t feel particularly threatened by the other. 

Mr. Kurt was a pale man with the physique of a 30 year old; dressed in business casual attire with thin, wire-rimmed glasses that shielded cold blue eyes; his hair a bright gold and done up into a ponytail with singular strands to drop in front of his face. Thin lips were stuck in an almost condescending frown, appearing as if smiling would probably be an  extremely strenuous task. His room, on the other hand, was rather minimalistic when it came to personalization: just your basic desk, computer, filler bookshelves lined up with books that no one will ever read (probably), and a couple of rewards. Nothing special or worth noting. To be honest, Erik had been expecting a classroom. He didn’t actually think it would be a one-on-one thing. Not that it mattered. For some odd reason, the older male wouldn’t directly look him in the eye, something that he took guilty satisfaction in. 

“You can stop gawking and take a seat,” Mr. Kurt gestured stiffly to the leather chair across his desk, which Erik kindly took, somewhat tired of being in motion. His actions seemed to disturb the man in some way going from how his expression became decidedly a little more pinched—probably having to do something with his scent...again. “So I suspect you understand why you are here, yes?”

“Apparently, the school thinks I’m some sort of simpleton and is in  _ desperate _ need of supplementary classes. Not that I don’t appreciate the extra  _ care _ , but I would really like too—”

“I’m going to cut you off there, Mr. Adolphus, before you make yourself sound more ignorant than you already are.” The older wolf cut him off none too gently, already sitting back against his chair, wearing this condescending expression that caused the corner of Erik’s mouth to twitch. Would it be bad to slam a teacher’s face through a desk? “You are of course what I expected you to be: an uneducated, Stray dog that has come lapping at the heels of the Pack, thinking he’s worth something.”

“You know nothing about me—”

“And I don’t really care too—that isn’t my job.” As he said this with cold indifference, he pushed his glasses up along the bridge of his nose, his eyes frigid jewels of ice. “I’m here to enlighten you about our way of life, culture, ethics, and anything I find prudent to your education. Granted, this seems like a nearly impossible task seeing as how you probably don’t even know what you are—”

“Yeah, a freak,” Erik sneered nastily, crossing his arms with a malignant gleam in his eyes.

“A  _ noble _ race of lupine warriors whose history is older than you could possibly fathom, you ignorant pup,” corrected the elder with stark disapproval in his voice, whatever opinion he had of the student dropping lower than what it was previously. “I would like you to keep in mind that any blasphemy directed towards our kind within the proximity of this classroom will result in the immediate removal of yourself from my instruction. And do you know what that would entail for you, Mr. Adolphus?”

Erik really didn’t appreciate the cold malice behind that warning, nor how a faint challenge lingered within those eyes despite them staring more so at his shoulder than meeting his actual gaze. The wolf in him rumbled at this, complacent, whilst his brows furrowed in mild confusion. “I can take a guess.”

Not amused, thin fingers came together in quiet contemplation. “Never you mind, boy. Let’s not make any further small talk and commence with why you are here in the first place. I’m going to ask some general questions to see where your... _ knowledge _ about our kind is on the spectrum.”

“Hit me.”

A blond brow twitched. “Let’s start with a broad question: what do you know of our race.”

The ex-football star didn’t even really let himself digest the question, letting years of aversion and bitterness creep into his tone. “Besides the fact we turn into freakish, wolf monsters—forcibly on full moons—not much. I’m hungry a lot of the time and I’m stronger than everyone I've ever known. My senses feel over-tuned most of the time to a painful extent so I just do what I can to...ignore it as best as I can. Anything else?”  _ Oh, and my dick has some weird knot-thing around the base,  _ he wanted to snidely add but he felt he was already pushing the limit from his earlier commentary if that grimace was anything to go by.

“Rudimentary and primitive your knowledge is; it’s rather appaling. How do you function without understanding the basic fundamentals about yourself?”

“I do just fine, thank you very much. I didn’t know teachers were allowed to be so insulting towards their students,” Erik chided blithely, rolling his eyes.

“Your not my student; you're a walking threat to our people.”

“ _ How?” _ Inquired the teenager in frustrated exasperation, palms digging into the edges of the desk as he leaned forward. “I just fucking got here and you people are treating me like the enemy! I haven’t done anything!”

Mr. Kurt scoffed, nose wrinkling in offense as the younger male’s movements stirred up his scent again. “Your smothered in human stench, boy. Whatever ounce of wolf you have is buried underneath that pungent smell. What kind of reception were you expecting to receive smelling like that?”

“I don’t know! It’s not like I have any control over that. I’ve been with humans my entire life. I...I don’t know anything different.” Something vulnerable crept into Erik’s voice before he could stop it. Something that sounded like the whimpers of a lost pup that’s been stranded for a long time. Cursing to himself, he shook his head, sitting back into his chair so he could glare heatedly at everything but the proud wolf in front of him. How could he bare his throat like that? Bare weakness? “I didn’t choose this.”

Something that suspiciously looked like pity flickered in those eyes before it was devoured again by an air of nonchalance, the emotional vulnerability having brushed over him ineffectively. “Ignorance is no excuse...but I suppose you at least are making amends to fix this since you are here. Perhaps there is chance for you...that is if you can get rid of that human stench.”

“And how do you suppose I do that? It’s not like I have some werewolf cologne stashed somewhere.” He hoped the sarcasm was apparent because his voice was practically  _ oozing  _ it.

It was ignored of course; the man’s countenance became more disapproving if that was even possible. “How often do you shift?”

Shift? Why the hell would he do that? Perturbed, Erik put his disquiet into words. “Uhh, I don’t have much of a choice during a full moon.”

Whatever he said must of been horrifying because the elder wolf expression schooled into one of disturbance. “That’s unacceptable. You are telling me you only allow yourself to shift during the full moon?”

“Well, I don’t really  _ allow _ it—it kinda just happens.”

“Mr. Adolphus that is unhealthy behavior. It is infeasible to spend more time in one form than the other.”

“Why the hell would I want to turn into that...a…,” he trailed off, reconsidering his next words upon being on the receiving end of that warning glare, “...wolf. It fucking hurts and I’m...I’m not myself.” 

“You are yourself at that moment more than any other. Neglecting your true nature is a one way ticket to self-destruction. Your a lot worse than I could have possibly imagined.”

“Didn’t you hear me?” Erik voice dropped to a hiss, a flash of something dangerous shimmering behind his eyes. “It. _ Hurts.” _

Surprisingly enough, the older wolf did seem a little disgruntled at the display, allowing himself to cough to regain some of that haughty air of his or to simply regain control of the conversation. “It’s because you fight it. Which, if I must repeat myself, is unnatural behavior. A young Lycanthrope or Lycan like yourself—as we prefer to call ourselves—are taught at a young age to embrace their fur and instincts. Unlike human contravices, they shan’t lead you astray. And by establishing this equilibrium within yourself, change between both forms should be as easy as breathing. Like so...” 

Before Erik could fully process what he was seeing, Mr. Kurt did this extraordinary thing with one of his hands as one second there was a regular human hand and the next was a deadly, furry claw. Not a paw, but an actual claw with opposable thumbs and wickedly sharp nails on the end. It looked so out of place coming out of the sleeve to his blue collared shirt but it was gone as fast as it appeared. A decidedly smug smirk spread across those thin lips at the wild expression of the other. “You should be able to do that quite easily, no?”

“It would be more of a paw kind of thing but no, I can’t.”  _ Show off. _

“Even a child could do that. I’m assuming that your not even aware that we Lycans possess the ability of achieving a third form that utilizes qualities from both forms. It's more anthropomorphic in nature: the ability to stand upright; opposable thumbs; limited human speech; and much more. Do you know what I speak of?”

“No,” came the grudging response, ripped right from an unwilling mouth.

“Once again, it should have come naturally to you. Achieving that unity of both sides is key… Honestly, I wonder who was in charge of your education. It is severely lacking.” As he said this, blue hues narrowed with interest as the teenager across from him stiffened before bristling with a surprising amount of anger.

“Don’t insult my mother.”

Having discovered an exploitable weakness, the man smiled neutrally, contemplating the desire to provoke the boy. But he was above such childish tactics. If he really wanted to get the boy expelled there were more effective ways. Besides, coarse and unrefined as he was, there was still entertainment to be had from him. “I wouldn’t dream of doing such a thing, pup. So calm down.”

“Tch…” Rage averted for now, he resumed his tense position. “So...what? Your going to show me how to do all that?”

“No,” the teacher said rather blankly.

“W-What?” Taken aback, Erik blinked a couple of times, wondering if he heard right before he decided on a mixture of annoyance and anger. “So what's the point of all this?”

“You can take steps to learn yourself. Once I see you putting in the effort, I maybe able to assist you more. For now, I will instruct you via books, lectures, and other  supplementary materials. Here—,” the teacher got up to actually pull something from his substantial collection, a couple of things really, “you can start by reading these. I expect a well-thought out summarization on each chapter on my desk every class to make sure you understand key concepts.” 

Three books were dropped unceremoniously onto his lap, prompting a raised brow at the titles:

_ Biology of Lycanthropes. Ancestry of the Children of the Moon. Understanding Your Dynamic and Those Around You. _

“Are these...actually real?” Inquired the sceptical teenager, wondering if he had stepped into a really weird fanfiction.

“What about them leads you to question their validity? They are all authored by credible sources. Just because you have never seen them before doesn’t mean it's not real. The supernatural world tends to keep all hints of our presence hidden from unassuming eyes to not draw unnecessary attention to ourselves.”

Erik didn’t really have a response to that save for putting the three books into his bag, grunting at the substantial increase of weight. And he wanted a summary from each chapter? Right. It would take him a decade to go through one chapter for just one book. Still, he wasn’t going to show that he wasn’t capable of the task, getting up from his chair when the man sat back down and started focusing on his computer, as if he didn’t still have company. Puzzled by these actions, he spoke, “So, what about the remainder of class?”

“You’re dismissed,” the blonde replied rather boorishly, his accent becoming a little heavier there.

“But we still have 30 minutes left,” Erik argued after a quick glance at his phone, not sure why he was protesting in the first place.

Nordic-blue eyes peered balefully over the monitor, hiding a less than amused expression. “I appreciate your sudden interest in your academics but I have things to do. You will be back here every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon for class. I will not tolerate absences or tardies.”

That didn’t seem to warrant an answer so with a roll of his eyes, a noticeably heavier bag, and a still empty stomach, Erik exited the office, deciding his best bet was to go back to the dorms. It was seven in the evening; the corridors were a lot more empty but there was an increase of people prowling the school grounds, staying in their groups while they walked about, some of them disappearing into the wood-line around the school. Feeling a pang of loneliness in his chest, Erik just walked forward towards what he hoped was the direction of the dormitories, hands in his pocket, ruined  blazer on his shoulder, a figure of solitude that was at odds with this socially reliant school. He didn’t expect to run into trouble now that it was so late. 

How could he be so naive?

“Hey, you’re the Stray right?”

The weight of the derogatory title, of course, went over his head, but Erik did halt in order to turn around to face his addressey, wearing a false, passive expression. A boy that was somewhat shorter than him with a shock of ear-length, white hair was leaning against one of the windows with eyes the color of wine. As required, he was garbed in the school’s uniform, oddly devoid of the blazer which left him in the collared shirt, the buttons on top unclasped. A gleam of what appeared to be a necklace lay against fair flesh.

It was his smell though that bothered Erik, made his throat disturbingly dry and his insides burn uncomfortably.  _ Omega _ , his instincts whispered temptingly. The sweetness of it was something he associated with omega’s if Seff’s scent was anything to go by, but underneath that underlying sweetness, was the smell of dew and something else. Something heady. A knowing look encompassed that boyish face, but he didn’t leave his perch to tease his ensnared prey, content to swing his legs from the window sill. His head tilted to the side, smirking playfully.

“Not going to answer my question?”

His voice was light and cheerful, not overtly so but still...Erik was wary. “What do you want?”

“Hey, no need to be to hostile. It was just an innocent question.” Both hands came up to signify peace, the glint of metal causing Erik to blink. Two rings enclosed both index fingers.

“Can’t you tell by my scent?”

“Maybe~ But I choose to use my other senses rather than just blindly following my nose all the time.”

Seriously, what was the point of this conversation? He didn’t sense that the guy boded any ill intentions towards him like the others, yet that didn’t automatically put him in the clear. “...I’m going to go.”

As soon as he said this and turned his back towards the weird boy, he was right in front of him, so close that he could see the sparse flecks of brown in those eyes. That heady scent flooded his nostrils, making it hard for him to concentrate on anything but the male before him. Pained green hues flickered desperately towards that exposed column of flesh, fighting the urges his instincts hissed to him.  _ Bite. Claim. Mate. _ And as if sensing this conflict in the other, the boy’s smile became sympathetic, even if his eyes gleamed like polished steel. “My name’s Shiro by the way. What’s yours?”

“None of your business.”

“Rude. But I’ll found out anyway,” Shiro chuckled breathely, fingers moving to fix Erik’s collar, unflinching upon seeing pupils narrow into slits. “Stray Alpha, you don’t have any friends in this huge school. A target was on your back the moment you stepped within these halls. It must be incredibly lonely…” Thin fingers boldy touched a strong chin, unafraid of the sudden tension dancing in that athletic form, his voice dropping to an empathetic lull. “I can offer you friendship...a pack. We could teach you everything, make you strong. What do you say?”

“I have a pack.”

The little laugh he received as a response made it clear the shorter male found his defiance amusing. Not to be deterred, those fingers began to inch up to touch taunt lips, his voice a airy whisper. “Do you, Stray wolf?”

_ Warm hazels, a warm smile and the scent of vanilla and almonds.  _

Erik wrapped a hand around a thin wrist, snarling in displeasure. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll have to pass.”

Before he could give Shiro time to process his rejection, the alpha wolf already brushed past him, walking briskly despite the instinctive desire to go back and pursue the omega wolf and pin him to the nearest surface. Even as he made his way to the dormitory, mind still reeling from the encounter, he couldn’t get that tantalizing smell from his nostrils. He just wanted to go to his room and be alone. So when he fumbled with getting the card key from his pocket after making it back to the dormitories, swiping it fast, he didn’t spare his supposed packmates a glance, heading straight for his room. He didn’t care about them, nor this place, and these...strange omega wolves that kept affecting him so strongly. He didn’t understand why they brought forth such yearning within him. It made the beast inside impatient, thrashing its head around, searching for something that was out of their reach.

Something golden and warm. His best friend who he missed more than anything.

It was this feeling of longing and the alien atmosphere that caused Erik to throw his baggage somewhere across the room and fall graceless onto his bed, arm over his eyes, and tempted to just go to sleep. The gnawing hunger in his stomach wouldn’t let him. Nor the lingering vestibules of that white-haired boy’s scent as well. He felt like he would go mad...yet he quietly endured it until he fell into a light doze for a couple of hours.

A very sharp stab of hunger eventually roused him from his daze, looking at his phone to check the time. 11:00 P.M on the dot eh? At least this shitty Monday was about to finally come to an end. As pleasing as this thought was, the longing for his friend still haunted him. Biting his lip, he quickly inputted a very familiar number to dial, knowing that nothing would prove fruitful about the endeavor.

A couple of moments of anxious dialing and he was going to hang up when—

_ “Listen, I’m seriously not in the mood for any solicitors at this hour so can you please stop calling this number—” _

“Leiss?”

_ A breathless silence. _

Then—

_ “...Erik…?” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me what you thought in your comments. ^^


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is so late. But life, as usual, does get in the way. But its here now so enjoy!

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_ “It is often my nature to be abstract, hidden in plain sight, or nowhere at all.”  _ **— Gerard Way**

 

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Your waking moments shouldn’t feel like you had been repeatedly run over by a truck then trampled by an angry elephant for good measure.

Well for Leiss...that was the best way he could describe it—the pain that is, throbbing throughout his skull.

Silently and ever so miserably, Leiss released a groan as consciousness attempted to wrestle with the sweet, peaceful darkness of his mind, eyelids fluttering with the effort as a lean body twisted about in resistance. Piercing through the booming in his skull was a soft clicking noise that was rather close to him. Blearily, he blinked some more, propping himself up on trembling elbows as he finally gathered some of his bearings, the light just a smidge too painful. Sitting ever so casually away from him was his cousin, preoccupied with whatever was on his laptop, seemingly having not noticed his cousin’s arrival into wakefulness. His attire was weird and dreadfully familiar: that black, mysterious, hooded cloak; the steel, bird-shaped, half-mask that rested atop his head; and the strange, grey combat uniform/gear that seemed to be made of some kind of polyethylene fiber—the same material used to make bulletproof vests. That...that hadn’t been what Kai had initially been wearing when he seen him earlier that day, but when Erik’s head  _ exploded— _

_ Black blood, guts, and other innards. _

The blond’s body twitched while a boot covered foot offhandedly pushed a bucket to the traumatized teenager’s side.

The image—so vivid!—replayed itself with perfect clarity in his mind and as consequence, Leiss turned on his side and gave a full-body retch, tasting acid and whatever else bile that lingered on his tongue. Christ...did that really...did all of that happen? Seeing Erik, chasing after him, almost kissing him after all this time...only for his head to explode in a horrifyingly, near-comedic way if he allowed himself to be dark about the whole thing? All of that seriously happened? That couldn’t be right. And as if determined to convince himself otherwise, wiping at the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, Leiss blinked flatly at the calm form of his cousin, not understanding why he was so...perturbed by him. Before he could stop himself, he muttered softly,  _ accusingly _ :

“You killed him.”

Not even looking up from what he was doing on the computer, Kai responded with equal softness, “Hmm…?”

“You killed him.” Repeated the blond, more incensed, as if trying to grasp some type of emotion that would fit this confusing situation. “How could you? He was my—”

“What? Your friend? Demons don’t make good friends Leiss.” Kai’s voice was deceptively calm but there was an edge to it, complimented by the hard glint of steel-grey hues as they finally left the draw of the computer screen to give his probably hysterical cousin all his attention. The computer clicked softly when he closed it, placing it on the table as he sat back leisurely against the couch.

“D-Demon? There’s no such thing as demons.” How silly of him to say this considering he just seen a werewolf a couple of days ago. Granted, this was his mind attempting to reclaim some semblance of normalcy or just trying to keep its preconception of reality in tact that didn’t involve supernatural things.

Denial at its strongest really. A defensive mechanism for a traumatized soul.

Kai knew this of course, knew he was just resisting simply because of a troubled psyche so his patience remained unyielding as always. But his eyes and voice were combative, ready to breakdown any resistance. “Leiss, you saw me blow the head off that thing’s body. With that very gun actually,” he gestured with his thumb to what appeared to be a shotgun propped against the wall, “and still...it  _ grew back _ . I don’t think normal people regrow their heads after such a thing. I mean if this was some type of anime or something  _ maybe _ but even that—”

“ _ Stop! _ Your not making any sense!” Leiss snapped loudly, his voice mildy hysterical, closing his eyes shut as if to block out all the madness surrounding him. 

His cousin wasn’t dissuaded by the outburst; if anything he was more encouraged, scooting closer but not enough to alarm the teen who was much like a cornered animal. “I know this is overwhelming, but I need you to take a moment to process and digest what you’ve seen. Otherwise, we’re going to be stuck here. Not that I mind; I have all day.”

With or without his cousin’s firm prompting, his mind had already knew what Kai said to be true; had already known that mockery of his friend hadn’t been his friend at all and was in fact some demonic ripoff. All the signs had been there: the strange muteness; the odd smell; the lack of reaction to calling his name; it had all been there in his face and he had so brazenly, so desperately turned a blind eye to it. Honestly...he just wanted to see Erik again and maybe that momentary weakness was enough for him to be exploited like that. He shouldn't be upset with his cousin; the man had saved him at the most convenient time. How did he know where he was or how to get rid of the threat was a frightening mystery but Leiss figured he would get all his answers by the end of this conversation. Truth of the matter was he didn’t know if he  _ wanted  _ the truth. He didn’t know if he was ready to face the harshness of the actuality that everything he knew to be fiction and fairy tale was inaccurate.

What were the lies? What is the truth? Did the boogeyman under the bed actually exist? Did monsters wait patiently in closets?

Leiss was scared. Scared of the world that truly had monsters. Scared that all this time he had been blissfully unaware, thus ignorant to the true dangers of the world. Scared that he was utterly  _ defenseless _ in the face of all this paranormal nonsense!

The blond suddenly felt dizzy, letting his elbows collapse so he could rest against the arm rest.

He heard Kai shuffle alongside of him, the thrumming of his fingers along his knee the only sign of his restlessness. But he was quiet, ever so patient, ever his mature cousin who apparently killed these monsters like it was a hobby for him. What was up with all the people close to him concealing some fabulous secret from him? Hell, maybe Amanda was in fact a unicorn with that equestrian obsession of hers. Okay, that was unfair but he was honestly a little frustrated with all these surprises.

“Alright, say this is all true…,” Leiss tentatively began, gathering his scrambled thoughts together, “does that mean angels, demons, vampires, witches—all of that exist?” He didn’t stop to think why he didn’t mention werewolves.

The beginnings of a satisfactory smile tugged at the corners of those narrow lips despite the grimness that haunted behind those gunmetal-grey orbs. Maybe he had known that he snagged his cousin’s curiosity. Now just to reel him in. “Yup! Everything that you just said and more exist in some shape or form. Scary, isn’t it?”

“Terrifying really.” Leiss sat up, wishing that the last 24 hours had been a dream. “How is it that I’m only seeing this right now? How come I haven’t seen any of this before?”

“Magic.”

It was more so the nonchalance of the reply then the actual reply itself that caused golden brows to arch quizzically. “Pardon… Did you say magic?”

“Or whatever word makes you feel better to describe it. Spells, chi, energy, devilry, witchcraft, abracadabra—hell they're all the same thing really. The only difference is from where the user draws it from—the source or wherever its flowing from. It's a really complex subject and if you want a more detailed explanation, I can bring that knowledge to you.”

_ This is unbelievable,  _ Leiss thought and only realizing he said this out loud when Kai exclaimed rather loudly, “I know right!?” which startled the raptor bird dozing on its perch, screeching its displeasure. Before he could even allow himself the chance to fully digest the information, his mouth was already forming words, just a smidge sarcastic, “Is this the part where you say ‘your a wizard, Leiss’ and I get a magic wand?”

“Only if your ready to get on a magic train and go to an equally magic school,” his cousin replied coolly, not missing a beat per usual.

There was just no winning with him; he didn’t know why he tried. But his brain often used sarcasm as a defense when he didn’t understand something and it frustrated him. This whole subject matter was nie incomprehensible; demons and angels, witches and vampires...ridiculous! But it was okay for werewolves to exist, his mind sneered darkly at him, causing the overwhelmed teenager to flush inwardly in shame. Every allowance for the boy he loved right? How biased of him… And here was his cousin who was probably willing to explain it all for him and he wasn’t making it any easier with his skepticism. Granted it was warranted; not everyday you’re told all this stuff existed and have proof to top it off. Perhaps he should be a little more open-minded and make this whole thing easier on the both of them.

Grown-up rationalization achieved; he was perhaps a little closer to leveling up from angsty teenager.

Question time.

Leiss straightened up, folding his hands into his lap as he tried to rebuild his normal composure. Sensitive topics like this kind of ripped it to shreds unfortunately. “So...magic is what basically hides things from normal people?”

“What’s normal?”

“Kai,  _ please.” _

“Okay, okay relax. Playtime is over.” As he acquiesced, appearing more than a little chastised, the older male respectfully schooled his countenance into something a little more serious, a little more mature. He removed the mask from atop his head, thumbing the immaculate surface with gloved fingers before resting it on the coffee table alongside his laptop. Grey hues closed in thought before turning to him once more, all lighthearted dailliance gone. “To answer your question: yes. It’s magic that hides supernatural activity from normal people. To be specific, that particular type of magic is called a glamour. It is the most rudimentary type of magic but highly effective.”

“A glamour? So how was I able to see the demon if it was supposed to be glamoured?”

Kai tsked softly, back to thrumming his fingers on his knee again. “You was only able to see it after I disrupted the thing’s concentration via shooting it. Had I not...well,  _ interfered,  _ you would have promptly been eaten by whatever illusion you were seeing.”

His cousin had the decency to not ask what illusion he had seen that had allured him; perhaps sensing it wasn’t the best subject to illuminate on… And no matter how much his brain glossed over the perspective that at least he would’ve been devoured by his best friend, it still wasn’t pleasant. Swallowing inaudibly, Leiss nodded, wearing a half-smile. “Right, I understand.”

“Do you?”

Hazel hues blinked in surprise at the sudden sharpness in his cousin’s tone. “W-Well, I would think so. After being almost eaten.”

“That isn’t what I meant.” Kai shook his head, looking as if he didn’t know whether to be upset or concerned. “Once you’ve seen it, you can’t  _ unsee _ it.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

_ Of course you don’t,  _ was the next look that was shot his way and the blond found himself tensing, feeling a little defensive. “It means that since that demon’s glamour faded around you, thus exposing its demonic energy to you, the side effects of that exposure will allow you to see demons now. To put it bluntly, it made you vulnerable, Leiss”

Puzzled but more so alarmed now, Leiss couldn’t keep that tinge of fear from his voice. “H-How so?”

“Because now you will stand out more due to that residual energy clinging to you. Your marked as prey that escaped from their brethren, which can be perceived as a threat to them. Humans don’t escape when a demon has chosen them as its prey.”

“Why did it choose me? I didn’t do anything.”

Kai sighed, running a hand through his hair, sitting back with his arms crossed, expression grimer than he has ever seen it. “That particular demon—commonly nicknamed Face Eater because of its penchant for eating the face first—is attracted to negative emotions. You’ve been through a lot recently, which makes you the perfect prey for that thing. It was why...I told you to stay home. But you didn’t listen to your cousin and had yourself a good ole’ near-death experience.”

“I didn’t know!” Came the defense from the younger male who didn’t know why he suddenly felt so foolish.

“Ignorance is no excuse to not listen to your cousin when he says  _ stay home!” _

Leiss turned his head, biting his lip, his throat and cheeks stained crimson. “I’m sorry. I just thought I saw…”

“You don’t have to tell me what you saw; that isn’t my concern,” cut off the irate young man with a wave of his hand, suddenly rising to his feet to pace back and forth. Had his cousin always been so restless? “My concern is that you just melted some butter on yourself and propped up a sign for demons to see that says, ‘Eat me please...I'm so fucking delicious’.”

Some of that restless energy was contagious but in Leiss’s case, transformed into trepidation, feeling the telltale sign of anxiety weave its way over his heart. Fingers worried the dry skin of his elbow, mouth uncomfortably dry. “Then what do I do? How do I make it go away?”

Kai stopped his pacing, a wild, near manic gleam in his eye. “It can’t go away; not by normal human means.”

“Meaning…?”

The other blonde looked like he was wrestling with his inner thoughts, rubbing his temple a couple of times, muttering darkly words Leiss couldn’t even decipher if he tried. Finally,  _ finally,  _ he reached some conclusion before he resumed his seat seconds later, frowning. “Before I can offer a solution, I have to tell you something else.”

“There isn’t anything you can say now that will surprise me,” Leiss said bitterly, anxiety clawing frantically at his heart, hoping that whatever his cousin said next wouldn’t be more shocking than what he already revealed. He didn’t want to have to self-medicate in front of him.

“If I told you I hunted demon's for a living, what would you say?”

“That I’m not surprised.”

Kai momentarily glanced away from imploring hazels, summoning up his resolve. “And if I told you I’m a part of a race of half angels, what would you say?”

“I...what? You’re not...human? How is that possible?” Even though he said what he said about not being more surprised than earlier, he couldn’t keep every ounce of disbelief out of his voice. Admirably, he was handling the news rather well, if not with a trace amount of skepticism that wouldn’t properly be gone unless there was some evidence.

“It's a really long story so I won’t give you every iota of information there is for now, but we can start somewhere.” Kai paused, contemplating his next words carefully. “What do you know of the Nephilim?”

Leiss’s brows arched, already having made some conclusions of his own but desiring confirmation. “In a biblical context or a fictional one…?”

“Biblical.”

“The Nephilim are supposed to be the offspring of the Sons of God and the Daughters of Men. The Sons of God supposedly being fallen angels and the Daughters of Men being females of human nature. Some say these fallen angels were actually demons that possessed the bodies of humans because angels weren’t allowed to intermarry with humans. That’s my basic understanding of it.” As he recited this knowledge from memory, a trace stab of pain welled from his heart of learning all this from his church’s library. On Sunday’s after service where his father would allow him to scurry off somewhere so he could make conversation with various officials. His sanctuary had been the library; devoid of other children who were too loud or just holding a flagrant disregard for their religion forced upon them by devout parents. He could remember how his father would give one of his rare smiles when he saw him with his head buried in ancient literature too old for a young mind…

_ No, no it still hurts. _

Leiss closed his eyes briefly, counting backwards from ten, trying not to open that frail floodgate.

“Hmm...where did you get that tidbit from?” Kai asked lightly, his eyes taking on that familiar mirth.

“The Book of Genesis.”

“The Book of Genesis...pfft…”

“What?” Leiss inquired hotly, a hair's breadth away from becoming offended.

Kai wisely fixed his expression to an apologetic one, his grin charming as always. “Nothing! Anyway, that’s a fairly convincing fabrication of Nephilim origin. It's no wonder why no one knows of our true existence.”

“My knowledge isn’t false; I’m pretty sure my recollection of it is on par with the actual text.” Some of the old Leiss was rearing its head up again, his tendency to become a near-insufferable knowitall when it came to Christianity or Catholicism. Not that Kai minded—it was refreshing. Emo Leiss wasn’t particularly fun to be around.

“Your knowledge isn’t false; its incomplete. Now listen to what I have to say before you start arguing with me, yeah?” Kai said firmly at how Leiss was opening his mouth to retort, smiling at the huff of concession and the roll of narrowed hazel eyes. Good boy. “You’re correct about Nephilim origin being that of Sons of God and Daughters of Men. However, the angels weren’t fallen—at least not yet—nor were they demons. No, these angels were beings led by God’s most cherished and beloved angel, Lucifer.”

“Wait, you mean Lucifer, the one who becomes the devil.”

“I didn’t get there yet.” He chided, affectionately ruffleing sun-kissed locks as the other pouted at him, eyes thirsty for knowledge. “He didn’t commit any sins yet so he still retained his angelic name. But yes it was him. Anyway, he descended from the heavenly plain, with him a sect of angels that championed him. His intentions had been to observe mankind, to understand why God loved them so for he felt that angels were His most perfect creation. And as he observed and interacted with humanity, he began to understand why his master adored them so.”

“But I thought Lucifer despised humanity for their imperfections—ah...sorry. Go on.” Leiss kind of shrunk down a little, embarrassed by Kai’s patient but disciplinary stare.

“...Lucifer loved humanity but at the sametime, could not stand their imperfections. It tormented him, this contradiction, till he found a solution. He thought to cure humanity’s flaws through siring offspring with them, with the hope of angelic blood fizzling out the imperfections that he couldn’t stand. What was more perfect then in angel, he believed? It was a masterful idea… And with this new race that his brethren and himself sired, a new chapter was created for humanity: the Nephilim.”

Something about how he could see the gears turning in that intelligent head of his was rather cute, but Kai pushed himself to continue so Leiss could save his questions for the end. “Of course, this was an affront to the Big Man Himself whom had decreed copulation between human and angel was to never transpire. In his righteous fury, he presented Lucifer and his followers with a choice: destroy their creations (the Nephilim) or be banished for all eternity into Hell.”

“I thought God was supposed to be all loving?” Questioned Leiss, aghast.

“Well he’s certainly all judging,” said Kai neutrally, respectfully holding back his true feelings on the matter. “Regardless, some say it was Lucifer pride while others said his love for his progeny is what caused him to choose banishment. Cast into the pits of the Hell, his brethren and himself being tempered into demons by Hell’s Inferno, he sends his subjects to torment and tempt humanity—what he believed to be God’s preferred creations—in retribution. Remember, he still found them imperfect and with the creation of us, the Nephilim, found them to be unnecessary so they needed to be eradicated.”

“But you’re probably wondering about the Nephilim, who were the...innocent party of this whole dilemma. God, in all His kindness, didn’t sentence Lucifer’s progeny to hell to join their sires but allowed us to stay with humanity...as their guardians. Our duty is to fight against the demons and  _ any _ who would threaten humanity, such is the doctrine imposed on us to be forgiven for our sires sins. That’s pretty much the basics. The rest is for another time.”

“How is it that God punished only Lucifer and his angels for copulating with humans? Didn’t the humans choose this as well? Unless they were…,” the word that would finish the sentence tasted repugnant on his tongue so he withheld it, hoping his cousin would understand.

Luckily, he did, his smile becoming slightly melancholic. “Nope, it wasn't forced. However, one could argue otherwise considering the temptation imposed on humanity by such powerful beings. The presence of an angel was said to cause great awe and adoration in a human, so divine was their aura. It’s a moot argument so most of us tend to avoid it.”

“Oh, okay.” Leiss bit the inside of his cheek, mind overflowing with all this new information that corrected what he thought to be truth. All these years he looked to the books he immersed himself in and the preachings of the pastors to educate him about religion. And all he would learn he would present to his father whom would encourage these findings in his own stoic way, satisfied with the path he was on. But now Kai comes in with this radical story about humans, gods, and angels plus the other stuff as well and kind of flipped everything onto its head. Who was he to believe? His loveable, but questionable cousin or years of solid education from accredited sources?

Ah...dilemmas.

“So...does this help a little? With my whole not being human thing?” Kai asked, hopeful.

Leiss blinked slowly, taking a deep breath.

“Quite frankly, no.”

The other male fell back against the couch theatrically with a loud groan and an arm to cover his eyes, the movement jarring his cloak open so Leiss could see more of his strange clothing. It looked too authentic to be just a costume...but that wasn’t enough proof honestly. “But why?” The strangled groan from his cousin was almost enough to drown out those words and Leiss  _ almost  _ felt bad for him. That story did seem like it took a lot of effort to recite.

“If you want me to believe you, then I would need some proof. I mean the whole existence of supernatural beings I believe to be true—I don’t have much of a choice in regards to that. But you actually being one…” Leiss shook his head, knowing he was doing this on purpose. He didn’t actually  _ want _ Kai to be anything but his normal,  _ human  _ cousin.

Suddenly, as if shocked literally with inspiration, Kai sat up, grabbing his shoulders with a wild look in his eye. A sense of deja vu passed through the slighter blond, having to blink back a strange onset of tears. “You want proof?”

“If you could manage that…”

“No problem, cousin! Whatever it takes!”

Perhaps egging his cousin on or posing a challenge to him—whichever really...wasn’t the best idea. Kai was eccentric and when he actually says “Whatever it takes!”, he seriously means it. More than a little worried, Leiss observed with apprehensive eyes as his cousin procured what appeared to be a combat knife from the side of his boot. And with it, he removed the glove on his left hand and pushed down his sleeve, exposing unblemished flesh and a strong hand. He didn’t like where this was going, didn’t like how his stomach churned and dipped when his cousin unassumingly placed the sharp edge of the weapon against his wrist, as if just feeling how it felt against his skin. No...he wouldn’t? He wasn’t going to do what he thought he was going to do right? This was just some silly ploy right?

“Now Kai, whatever your about to do, I’m completely sure it's unnecessary. Just put the knife down…,” Calm was his words and equally calm was his subtle movements to get closer to his cousin, hoping to remove the weapon from his hand. Xena, who had been largely quiet this entire time save for when Kai disturbed her with his loudness, began to make a distressed, low-pitched noise, as if sensing her master’s intentions.

Graphite eyes shined with a mad, unquenchable light.

The knife slid gracefully across lightly tanned skin, crimson flashing wetly along the hardwood floor and down torn flesh.

Leiss cried out, lurching towards his cousin who leaped back onto his feet, his smile pained but foolhardy.

The freaking psycho actually did it; he seriously cut himself. Without abandon, without a care in the world. The blood kept welling down his arm, the sound of blood hitting the floor drowned out by Xena’s hissed cries. He seemed to have trouble holding up his hand; the idiot probably cut through the muscles and tendons in his wrist, leaving the radial artery probably unharmed since the wound wasn’t spurting blood. But it was gushing, and Leiss had to cover his mouth, feeling sick for the upteempth time that day.

“What...what...why? Kai your wrist...we need a hospital.” Leiss said weakly, feeling strangely sluggish in his limbs as he tried to find a phone or something to call an ambulance. Where the hell was his phone?

Completely unperturbed, Kai just watched his cousin’s unnecessary actions with a cool sense of detachment, supporting his other hand with the gloved one. He cleared his throat lightly, summoning that frightened gaze. He allowed himself a smile, a sad one. “Hey Leiss, its fine.”

“Are you mad!? Wait, yes you are! How the hell is this fine?”

Kai didn’t need to say anything else because the skin on the back of his wounded hand began to glow dimly with an ethereal light, sometype of brand rising to the surface. Morbidly fascinated, Leiss tried to discern the shape of the brand, likening it to a crescent with a backwards, smaller crescent in the middle, both pierced by a T-shaped line. It was golden, unearthly. Yet Leiss couldn’t tear his eyes from it, even when Kai began wiping the blood from his wound with his other hand, the fluid being absorbed by the material of his glove. 

Only when he twisted his hand around, baring his wrist to the bewildered teenager that Leiss felt his heart leap into his throat.

Nothing. Not a scar, not even a little pinkness to signify that there had been something ever there. 

That...impossible.

Leiss stared, spellbound, mouth opening and closing furiously, willing his brain to come up with something witty or snarky to say. But what was there to say? Oh hey cousin, thats a pretty cool trick you got there. How was it exactly you repaired torn tendons, muscles, skin and stemmed the flow of blood in a matter of seconds? He didn’t  _ want  _ to know...but at the same time he did. It was contradictory; his brain was beginning to hurt and he was starting to feel like he reached his threshold for craziness. So out of it he was that Leiss didn’t even notice when his cousin sat next to him, wearing this unbearably, sympathetic expression on his face. It was frustrating—he was the one who just got hurt and he was still worried about him? He didn’t know if Kai was just genuinely altruistic or just insane.

Probably both if he thought about it a little more.

“Believe me now?” Kai broached softly, making sure that his injured wrist was in his cousin’s field of vision.

Leiss squeezed his eyes closed, inhaling shakily. When he opened them again, there was a heavy tiredness behind them. When he spoke, he only uttered one word, “How?”

“It's the Mark of Cain. Every Nephilim is born with it...pretty much like a birthmark really. God branded the first Nephlim with this mark because the human part of our heritage are descendants of Cain. If you remember from the stories—”

“And the Lord set a mark upon Cain so that whoever found him, would not slay him,” quoted Leiss, unable to help himself even now, drawing an amused noise from his grinning cousin.

“Right. Although in our case, we can still be killed. This mark accelerates the natural healing of the body. It draws strength from your stamina though so it isn’t you know...a cheat code.”

“Only you would compare something like that to a cheat code.”

Even though the remark was a little terse, Kai remained unaffected, some of that natural cheer of his returning despite that he literally split his wrist open from tip to tip just seconds ago. “Yup! Anyway, I take it you believe me now?”

“You didn’t give me much of a choice,” groused the peeved blonde, scowling, still trying to recover from that heart attack inducing display. “You didn’t have to be so extreme. I think you even scared your bird—I mean Xena.”

“That didn’t scare you, right baby?” Cooed the man, turning a loving gaze unto the golden eagle.

She made a hissing noise but went to pointedly preening her feathers.

Kai snorted, rolling his eyes. “Look I just wanted to get the point across.” He received a half-hearted punch to the shoulder for his pun, causing him to wince dramatically, not missing the flicker of a smile flitting across that pale face. “Sorry. Couldn’t really help it.”

“...Mhmm.” Well crisis averted, for now. Leiss had a lot of questions, but drawing the energy to ask every one of them was too draining of a task. A few would have to do for now. “So...you’ve been like this your whole life? Does that mean your father is also…?”

“Yeah. Mother, father, grandparents...the whole family.”

“Wait…Kai...don’t tell me...no.”

His cousin smiled wanly, eyes stormy greys that were turbulent with emotions.

“My father is a...one of these Nephilim? That means I’m also... _ no _ !”

Unable to contain himself, Leiss leaped clumsily to his feet, stumbling back away from Kai who sat on the couch patiently, the clenching of his hands on his legs the only signal of his wavering restraint to not jump after his cousin. This...this couldn’t be right. He couldn’t be one of these Nephilim! When he bleed, it hurt. It didn’t heal; a mark never showed on his hand; the pain would linger normally like any wound. He was human, through and through. He didn’t have any powers or any other supernatural oddities about him. He didn’t excel at physical things—nothing about his body was strange. Nothing came to mind...so this couldn’t be right. Kai was wrong; maybe his side of the family were Nephilim but his father and him were just human. Normal, everyday—

“I know what your thinking—that you’re just a human,” interrupted Kai carefully, placatingly, like he was trying to talk down a frightened animal. 

Leiss sneered uncharastically at him, not really meaning it but too drunk off emotional adrenaline. “Don’t talk to me like you understand!”

“No, I don’t. I don’t understand what it's like to be just a human.” He said blankly, cautiously rising from his seat, watching how the unstable teen took a step back warily, ready to bolt at a moment’s nonsense. “But I know why you think you’re just a human. If you just give me a chance to explain—”

“To explain what? That I’m supposed to be some protector of humanity? That now I have to carry a gun and kill monsters? You’re out of your mind if you expect me to—”

“ _ I expect nothing from you!” _

Hazel eyes widened in shock at the rare occurrence of Kai raising his voice, taking two great strides to remove whatever distance between them, looming over him. Gone was that comforting geniality and patience, unable to share a space with that thunderous expression and the ferocity of a storm in his eyes. This was the Kai that fought monsters. The warrior. The Nephilim.

Fear gripped the petrified blond’s heart, holding back a trembling breath.

“You’re my cousin, my family, Leiss. If I have any expectations, it would be to continue doing being just that. But you have the rare opportunity to make a choice. If your humanity is something you cherish, then you may choose it.” His voice was low and serious, ominous to the untrained ear. But his countenance softened after a couple of seconds, more so for the benefit of Leiss then himself.

“Really?” Hope. Uncertainty. These two emotions warred with each other within his chest, competing for dominance. Hope won out, grasping onto it desperately, encouraged by how his cousin’s engulfing presence lightened.

“Yes. To begin with, you must be thinking if you were Nephilim in the first place, then how come there wasn’t any signs? This is why…”

Pausing mid-way to dig something out of his cloak, a familiar pill bottle was held up between two fingers, much to Leiss’s surprise. Before he could even ask why Kai had them or what they had to do with anything, his cousin was speaking, his tone somber. “Before you ask, you left it on the end table, so no...I didn’t steal it. And they aren’t what you think.”

“What? You mean my anxiety medication? Kai please—”

“I sent a sample to get examined by a good friend of mine to confirm my suspicions. The examination revealed that the key component within these pills is Ampytanyl. Now I can’t really give you all the scientific jaragon behind it but all you need to know that it's a synthetic compound that can make the angelic blood within you dormant or suppressed—same thing really.”

“I have anxiety, and they help me deal with it. I need it.” Leiss said stubbornly as he made a move to grab them, but Kai, with his tallness, made sure they were out of reach.

“You don’t have anxiety and these are highly addictive by the way. Which is why you think you  _ need _ them.”

“How are you to tell me what I don’t have. My...my father prescribed them to me after he saw me have an anxiety attack. I’ve been taking them for as long as I could remember.”

“Your father prescribed them to you so you could grow up to be a normal human boy. He poisoned your blood, took away your heritage, your choice.”

“My  _ father  _ did no such thing!”

“You still defend him after what he’s done to you? The man who presumes to know what's best for you?”

“Like what you’re doing right now?” Snapped the younger of two with a surprising amount of viciousness.

Kai’s glare was as frigid as his tone, all warmth gone in an instant. “There’s no presumptions here, Leiss. Just choices. I would think you knew me well enough that I would always let you make your own decisions, regardless of my opinion.”

“If that's the case, how am I supposed to handle my anxiety if your saying that medication isn’t good for me?”

“As I've said before,” he began coolly, patiently, “You don’t have anxiety. What you think to be anxiety attacks are really just surges of that Nephilim blood of yours, desperate to get out. You see, Nephilim have the ability to distribute the massive rush of adrenaline from your so called ‘anxiety attacks into our brain, thus slowing our perception of our surroundings.”

“That...that sounds absolutely fictional. Do you seriously expect me to believe that?”

“We just talked about my expectations—or lack thereof.”

Something about this whole conversation made Leiss want to go into the kitchen and repeatedly smash his face into nearest cabinet, hoping it might wake him up from this loony dream. His anxiety is not anxiety but actually some form of power from his questionable bloodline? Right...and he was a monkey’s uncle. He was at his limit here; he needed a moment to process all this ridiculous information and actually scan it to see if he could really believe all this. How do you undo 17 years of believing the world to be one way? Of believing that  _ yourself  _ is one way? If he cut his wrist, cut through multiple blood vessels, would this angelic blood of his save him? It never did. It never surfaced after all these years hanging out with a rough and reckless boy like Erik who you were bound to get more than a couple of scratches trying to keep up with.

Would...would Erik think differently of him if he knew about this whole thing?

Could they still be friends?

His heart did a funny little squeeze in his chest, sordid and overwhelmed.

A heavy, warm hand clasped his shoulder with a surprising amount of gentleness, beseeching him to look up into slate grey orbs that were both equal amounts of sympathetic and understanding. Leiss felt an unreasonable amount of dislike for that gaze, balling his fist at his side. It was an ugly emotion so he was glad that it disappeared as soon as it arrived. Especially since how tentaitive Kai’s body language was, demonstrating how this situation wasn’t exactly easy for him either. Having to explain all of this, knowing it sounded like something straight from a subpar, supernatural teenage fiction, and hoping that it was believable, was a near impossible task.

Maybe he was being selfish.

“Listen, dear cousin of mine, I want this to be some really unfunny joke made by some greasy, fat guy with nothing better to do. But its not. And I know it's unfair of  me to kind of hit you with all this and have you make a choice—relatively soon preferably. Because that's what this conversation boils down to: choices.” Kai paused, not wanting to proceed with his next words but having not much of a choice ironically enough. “You can either stop taking these pills and hope that it will spark a resurgence in that blood of yours. Which will be the only way you’ll have a chance of defending yourself from becoming the supernatural force’s chew toy. Of course, there will be side effects to deal with; you know, things that happen when you stop taking an addictive drug. I’ll be there for the whole process if that's any relief.”

Leiss gave him the longest look possible.

Very much abashed, the older male scratched the back of his head, reluctantly carrying on. “Hmm, right. Well the other choice is to keep taking the pills, retain your forced humanity, and become any demon’s perspective target in a roughly ten mile radius? Sorry, can’t really give you accurate numbers but you get the point. Granted...I will do my best to protect you but I can’t always be there. Of course that would be a scary situation with you being in danger for the rest of your life and me worrying about you 24/7. But I don’t mind...if that is your choice.”

“I...I...don’t know. I need time to think.”

“You don't really have that time—”

“ _ Don’t you think I know that? _ ”

SIlence.

“Leiss…”

“I need to go.”

The impulse was there; hot, sudden, overwhelming with the desire to just be  _ alone _ . He knew his statement wasn’t phrased as a question, but the desperation had bled into his gaze as he quietly asked for this small respite. He knew it was dangerous—foolish even. But this space was suffocating him; he needed fresh air to clear his mind, a chance to allow himself to be rational. Leiss desired this more than anything at the moment. Even if it was dangerous and every so called demon leered at him hungerily, he still needed this. And maybe that was part of the reason why also. Maybe...seeing what Kai was talking about, would help him reach his decision faster.

And maybe Kai reached this conclusion as well or simply studied his expression long enough to read his mind. Either way, the man sighed with all the weight of his reluctance as he bid his cousin with a curt incline of his head and a wordless retreat, resuming his relaxed position on the couch. Even though his demure was complaisant and his eyes had turned distractedly onto the television, Leiss knew his allowance of this expenditure was something he was uncomfortable with. It was against his person to let others see when he was bothered. 

With a small, muttered ‘thanks’ and a lingering look to see if Kai would watch him depart (he did not), Leiss felt a shiver of anticipation at the click of the door closing behind him. The hallway seemed long and foreboding with its lack of people. He wondered vaguely if they had neighbors but he didn’t let his thoughts stay on the subject too long as he exited the building. It was dark, as expected; well into the evening time but that didn’t make the whole venture any scarier than it already was. Going just from his singular previous experience, the monsters were out there, even in the light.

Gathering his wits about him, Leiss took the same familiar turn that would lead him to the street that had people walking about busily earlier that day. Now it was calmer, quieter, people walking to go eat or maybe to socialize at some eatery or bar. Normal people things.  _ Human _ things. Would he still be able to take part in such pleasures if he stopped taking his medication? Would that humanity he placed such a high value in be able to exist beside the angelic part? He just...he just didn’t want it to go away. And Leiss knew it was bizarre of him to have these emotions. What teenager didn’t want the chance to not be normal? To not be exposed to what was hidden behind the scenes? Well it was him. Leiss cherished normalcy—yet that didn’t have to mean normal had to be boring or predictable all the the time. Some surprises were nice...but this was taking it to far.

Leiss paused at the corner of an intersection, turning a dull gaze onto a lightly inhabited Starbucks. A pair was sitting at the table, being waited on by an employee. He was about to turn away when his body suddenly froze, pupils blown wide within hazel iris as the employee happened to look his way. The lady...there were no eyes in bottomless sockets and the area where her mouth should be was just a gaping hole. A pressure crushed down upon his body as his heart beat a staccato rhythm within his chest, hearing his joints protest while his instincts screamed at him to run. It hasn't even been a full ten minutes and he was already going to die—!

He blinked.

And the apparition vanished as the lady just laughed at what her customers said and left, as if whatever just transpired was just a figment of his imagination. And maybe it was. But it was real enough that when Leiss recomposed himself, he became aware of how drenched the back of his shirt felt. To make matters worse, he just realized this shirt hadn’t been the one he had been wearing earlier that day. Kai, at some point, must have gave him another shirt. Sad how he had been too overwhelmed to notice a minor thing like that.

Maybe...he should just stop taking those pills. He wasn’t safe and his wits wouldn’t be enough to save him from simply going past a Starbucks.

But...he didn’t want fight demons or whatever. He wasn’t that type of person.

Christ, what should he do…?

What would...Erik do?

Almost at once, with perfect clarity, Erik’s loud voice played in his head, his brain imagining what he would do. How he wouldn’t even really think about it. Just...go with the flow; follow your gut. Or in his case, follow your instincts. His instincts muttered fearfully to him in his ear; the best decision that ensured survival.

So, that left only one option, right?

Having reached a tentative, if not semi-coerced decision, it wasn’t long until Leiss found himself back inside his cousin’s apartment, luckily not encountering anything like he did at the Starbucks. He opened his mouth to say something to his cousin who had turned to look at him from his spot in front of the window, but a piercing screech interrupted him. Xena, having announced herself rather loudly, landed on the perch from outside, apparently having not been there since his departure. The blond was quick to connect the dots.

“Did you...have your bird,  _ spy  _ on me?”

Kai didn’t even have the decency to look even mildly befuddled by the mere notion that birds could be used for spying. Because why not? The world was all fucked up anyway. Instead, his cousin just smiled benignly at him digging into a partially sealed container by Xena’s perch. “Xena was worried about you so I sent her to make sure you didn’t get kidnapped...or eaten. Normal stuff.” As he said this, he casually pulled out a dead mouse and tossed it to her, observing with a fair amount of adoration as she snapped it up within that wickedly curved beak of hers. 

Mildly distracted by the morbidly fascinating sight of a golden eagle eating its prey, Leiss didn’t even notice his cousin’s rapid approach until fingers were snapping in front of his face. Annoyed, he batted at the irritating digits, scowling humorlessly. “What?”

“It’s rude to stare.”

“Seriously?”

“She doesn’t like people staring at her while she eats. She’s a proper lady, okay?” Leiss clearly wasn’t in the mood to argue the point much to the other’s satisfaction, appropriately turning somber again as he approached the dreaded the topic. “I was thinking...perhaps you might need a little more time. A couple of days shouldn’t hurt—”

“I’ll stop taking them.”

For once, that handsome cousin of his was surprised into speechlessness, twin wheat-blond brows, disappearing into a hairline. “Really? Are you sure.”

“Obviously. I don’t believe in wasting time with weak protests or just trying to convince myself this isn’t the best course of action. I may not like it and be totally against it but...I don’t want to be some monster’s lunch.” As the words were spoken, being ripped from him with a edge of finality, Leiss trembled, if only slightly. Even if his words were resolute and concise, it still hurt having to admit this was the best course of action. 

The way slate-grey hues roved his form made Leiss just the slightest bit uncomfortable with their intensity, measuring the resolve behind his words and in his body language. After reaching some satisfaction, wordlessly he grabbed Leiss by the arm and proceeded to drag him out the apartment. More than a little startled, the teen protested vehemently, yelping loudly if his cousin finally lost his mind. Yet completely unaffected by the ruckus behind him, Kai proceeded with a quiet single-mindedness down the hallway and up a couple flights of stairs till Leiss could only conclude they were on the roof. It was decidedly a bit colder than being down below...not so far from the ground.

Irratitied and more confused than he would like, Leiss whirled on him, voice a near snarl, “What the hell is your problem?”

Kai glanced back at him, then over the ledge before procuring Leiss’s medication from his pocket. In his eyes was a wildness akin to when he cut his wrist. “If your serious about your decision, then I want you to throw this as far as you can.”

“What? Why?”

“To put actions behind your words. If you mean what you said, this shouldn’t be difficult for you,” a hand offered the container, daringly, challengingly. Those grey hues burned passionately with encouragement and something else. Something strange. “Show me your resolve, dear cousin.”

Torn hazles stared longingly at the seemingly harmless medication in his cousin’s outstretched hand, a part of him still desiring to grab the medicine and stuff it in his pockets. He felt it was wrong of Kai to force him to be this demonstrative of his choice, but he understood why his cousin thought it to be necessary. Maybe he feared Leiss wouldn’t be committed to his choice if the catalyst was still within his reach. Maybe he didn’t believe Leiss to be strong enough to resist the temptation. Whatever the case maybe, they weren’t going back inside till he did something.

Sighing heavily, finding this whole thing to be extra, fingers sought the container, turning it between his fingers as he weighed its contents, noticing that they were indeed almost empty anyway. Would Kai have helped him procure more if he wanted? Probably. If that had been his choice. And it wasn’t so—

Leiss grit his teeth and flung it off the roof as hard as he could, losing sight of it somewhere on the street.

Before he could he say anything, a pair of arms wrapped around him in a smothering hug, suddenly being encapsulated in the smell of dried blood and something musky. Perhaps sweat? Leiss’s nose wrinkled in distaste. “Not to be offensive but...you kind of stink…”

“It's the stink of pride! I’m so proud of you!” His voice was literally  _ oozing _ pride. Leiss didn’t know whether to be disgusted or amused.

“You’re making me regret my decision…”

“Too late for that, cousin! Tomorrow is the dawn of  blood, sweat, and protein!”

Leiss groaned. “Sounds fantastic… Can you let me go now? I kind of want to lay down, now. It's been a long and arduous day full of terrible surprises and I want to make sure...I’m prepared for whatever you have in mind for tomorrow.”

Feeling sympathetic, or just overrun with enthusiasm, Kai acquiesced (gratefully releasing him) and led him back downstairs to his apartment, literally unable to contain his grin of delight. Unfortunately, the younger blond wasn’t in much of a good mood to share his cousin’s jubilance despite it being so infectious. He was weary and wasn’t completely sure he understood the magnitude of his decision. Kai seemed to have implied he was about to go through some bootcamp starting tomorrow but he hoped that was just some fanciful idealization. He just wanted to rest…

Thankfully, his still beaming family member seemed to have gotten the picture that his cousin needed his space after reaching the apartment. He had seemed very close to hugging him again but a warning look and a conveniently timed screech of hunger from Xena was enough to deter him for now. If his mood had been lighter, Leiss might’ve attempted to thank the avian creature but he still didn’t know how to feel about the bird being able to spy on him. So he waved, entered his room, fell onto his bed and quite promptly—

Screamed his lungs out  into his freaking pillow. Because this was all just too  _ much  _ and his brain was imploding and was beginning to feel the onset of a headache and—

Now the phone was  _ ringing _ .

Jeez, couldn’t catch a break.

Leiss picked up his phone from the end table, having no recollection of leaving it there in the first place but that was perfectly okay. Questioning things was getting redundant now and his brain was effectively mush at this point. He pushed a button on the screen and answered in the most cordial tone he could muster, “Hello? May I help you?”

_ “Hello! You have been selected for this rare opportunity to purchase—” _

_ Click. _

Yeah, no.

The teenager resisted the urge to throw the phone into the wall so it could explode into a billion little pieces. Solicitors, at this hour? Where did they even get his information…?

It wasn’t but a minute later until his phone started ringing again, groaning at the unfamiliar number but knowing he was going to answer it anyway. If they wanted to solicit him, then fine. They could have at itl.

“Listen, I’m seriously not in the mood for any solicitors at this hour so can you please stop calling this number—”

“ _ Leiss?” _

No...that voice. It couldn’t possibly be…

“...Erik…?”

Maybe there was a silver lining to be had after all.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know I'm terrible for ending it that way but the chapter was too log as is x_x. You'll find out about that phone convo later. But if you guys liked it, let me know in your comments! :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again a late update...I'm starting to a see a pattern here...a kinda once a month thing. This chapter could have been split in two but I digress. Enjoy!

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_“We only part to meet again.”_ **— John Gay**

 

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Even though this was the beginning of another shit day at this even shitter school, Erik wasn’t going to let it  _ completely _ ruin the rest of the day for him.

Nah, not this day.

The day Leiss and he can finally see each other again.

Lying here in this godforsaken room, surrounded by creatures grudgingly just like him down to the furry monster lurking underneath his skin, Erik was able to recall the phone conversation that happened late Monday (yesterday) night. He remembered Leiss’s breathy surprise and his thoughtful silence when he recognized his voice on the line, how he apologized in his version of being sheepish upon his earlier greeting. Apparently, a solicitor had just called and he reasoned it was another one upon seeing an unidentified phone number. Of course Erik had found that strange; Leiss knew his number like the back of his hand—why would he not recognize it? Much to his chagrin (and muted horror) he realized that it wouldn’t have been odd to say that his mother might have changed his number. She had said something of the like during their trip to this school but he had been head deep into some heavy rock song to pay her any attention. A consequence to his gross negligence. Shame because had he confronted it then, that road trip wouldn’t have been nearly as pleasant...

Anyway, Leiss reacted to this news as neutrally as anyone would when hearing that their best friend’s mom sabotaged their number. If anything, it saved Erik from being chastised again for failing to contact his friend...for the _ upteempth  _ time _.  _ The importance, Leiss stressed, of them being in contact with each other due to being in different places was paramount. And Erik had been prepared to listen to that lovely voice—err well  _ welcoming _ voice go on forever but he had cut him off, wondering why he was up so late when the other had school the next day.

It was here that Leiss grew so quiet that the ex-jock wondered if the line had been disrupted.

The concern had surged in immediately, wanting to ask if everything was okay but his friend predicting him so well, beat him to the punch. He said he would explain later if Erik was willing to meet up somewhere. For some reason, that made him worry more because why was the blond able to meet up anywhere if he was in Woodcrest? Suffice it to say Leiss was also somewhere in Woodcrest which made him worry more if that was even possible. But a promise to explain (amongst other things) and a date to meet at a Starbucks was all he got before his best friend hastened off the phone, apologetic if not a little exhausted.

Erik didn’t get much sleep that night.

Not to mention that he was still starving; combine that with the anticipation for his not-date with Leiss, Erik was already up staring at the ceiling to his room, an hour till eight. He wouldn’t see Leiss till the afternoon after classes...but it was one of those strange occurrences in his life where his curriculum for today (and Thursday) was strangely blank. Was there even class today? Probably. Either way, he needed to find food fast or he wasn’t going to make it to meet his friend. His friend with hair like spun gold; an intoxicating aroma of vanilla and almonds that made him ache in delirious want. The one who sounded so worn on the phone but managed to sound enthused...just for him. The one who was doing funny things to his heart and haunting his dreams—

The wolf flushed, killing that line of thinking.

He didn’t want a repeat of Monday morning.

Not that he was going to get it because just then, a tentative rap sounded against his door, followed by a light sigh. “I know you're up so throw some clothes on. Doesn’t matter what you wear so just meet us in the living room. Oh...and uh, bring some spare clothes with you.” 

That sounded like—Seff was it? Erik wasn’t sure if he should go see what he wanted or just ignore him all together. Didn’t they expressly say he wasn’t a part of their pack? Yet now he was being summoned at their behest? What were they playing at? It probably wouldn’t hurt to go see what they wanted; it wasn’t like he had classes to go to. Although the request to bring spare clothing was fairly strangely, Erik replaced his books in his bag with extra clothing—nothing fancy. He threw on some cargo pants, a blue t-shirt that his sister gave him, and some sneakers. The school uniform strewn on his desk chair drew a quick sneer from him before he left the room, the bag slung along his shoulder. 

Standing in the living room in various states of casual dress were his supposed pack mates, tensing at the heated glare of the asshole with blue hair before the guy turned away with a scoff, having deciding he wasn’t worth his attention. The two beta girls, Lovetta and Ylva, sent him a nod of approval while Seff gave a half smile, as if he wasn’t quite sure what to say in this situation.

In all honesty, Erik was tired of awkward circumstances so he decided to take matters into his own hands.

“So...what’s the occasion?”

“It’s a wolf day. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday is dedicated to being in our true forms and bonding with the pack. Wasn’t it on your curriculum?” Lovetta inquired, her tone kind of surly, as if this was common knowledge.

Erik furrowed his brow. “There wasn’t anything on it about today.”

“Because its a wolf day! So you're hanging out with us!” chimed in Ylva, looking as if she was seconds away from bouncing up and down. Shame he couldn’t quite share her enthusiasm.

Before he could open his mouth to respond with something that might have been fairly pessimistic, Seff stepped in, perhaps egged on by the increasing tension about Zayev’s shoulders. “I know it’s been kind of rough for you but hopefully today might be better. I’m pretty sure you won’t forget the sight of so many wolves running around.”

“Just stay out of our way, Stray.”

And so it begins.

“As long as you stay out of mine.”

“What was that?”

A brief flash of faintly illuminated, onyx eyes were upon Erik as he suddenly felt his space encroached upon, the tension about the air breaking as everyone became deadly quiet. Those ferocious eyes challenged him directly as they stared into equally unyielding ones, a hair breadth away from losing all control entirely. The scent of some soapy cologne permeated from Zayev but there was no way that it could subdue the musk of pure…masculinity hugging his body like a second skin. It was the scent of dominance and aggression. The scent of what Erik could only describe as well… _ Alpha _ perhaps. His instincts screamed at him to fight, to establish his dominance, to show he wouldn’t back down either. The heat, that all-consuming, ravishing heat was making its return with in ugly vengeance in response to this desire to make it known to all those who will bear witness of his supremacy.

It was irrational and maybe a little foolish, but the impulse was nearly irresistible.

And if that aggressive body language was anything to go by or the gradual appearance of those fangs, he wasn’t the only one heeding this call. 

He didn’t think he was going to lose…rather…he just wasn’t  _ allowed  _ to lose.

“We really don’t have time for this you two. Just save it for outside. Come on, I’m hungry.”

Surprisingly, it was Lovetta who decided to be the voice of reason and step between the two alphas with no concern for her own personal wellbeing, appearing to be more aggravated than anything for the wasteful use of time. Both sets of eyes diverted to her and she respectfully didn’t meet their gaze but maintained that annoyed stance about her, appearing as if she wanted to say more but wisely choosing not to. Assuaged for now, but still giving off this impression that Erik wasn’t even worth his time, Zayev sneered nastily at his rival and decided to leave, a silent order for the rest of them to follow his example. Lovetta released a satisfied sigh and muttered something darkly under her breath that sounded mildly insulting if her sister’s giggles were anything to go by. But they too were quick to follow in in their alpha’s footsteps.

The only one lingering behind, contemplating whether he should say anything at all but wearing this faintly pleased expression was Seff. Erik, still feeling the remaining vestibules of that aggression from before, turned his attention onto the passive blond, a growl about his voice.

“You want to say something?”

The incensed tone seemed to brush off the omega as he pleasantly gestured to the door, taking a respectful step to the side so the Alpha could go first. Something about the whole display gave the black-haired wolf he was being teased but he didn’t have the patience to call it out. “Not at all!”

With a huff and the weight of those grey orbs on his back, Erik was making his way downstairs, letting the scent of the other three be his guide.  Seff seemed content to let him lead for he didn’t say a word the entire time, even when the scent began leading them closer and closer to the forest surrounding the school. Maybe his building apprehension about what lay behind those trees was bleeding into his body language or scent because seconds later, as they grew closer, Seff was walking next to him instead of behind him. His lips were quirked into a knowing, dubious grin and those dusty hues held a mischievous glint behind them.

“Scared, Alpha? We don’t bite much, yeah?”

At the risk of appearing weak, Erik summoned a little bravado, even if his heart rate was telling a different story. “There isn’t anything to be scared off.”

“Is that so?” Seff challenged as he jogged slightly ahead, facing the obviously lying alpha despite hampering his ability to see the path ahead. A sudden image of a lean back colliding with a tree caused the black haired wolf to snicker inwardly. “Then you don’t mind me asking how many wolves have you been around at once?”

Erik almost said  _ just my mother _ but the admittance sounded lame even to his ears. So he adjusted it, if only a little. “Just one.”

“Hmm…are you sure your not afraid?”

“No! Why would I –”

“Your heart rate is telling a different story~” The words were said in a singsong voice as Seff chuckled, finally turning away when they reached a quiet a little spot next to a small cave that had an even smaller creek flowing over some pebbles just a foot away from the entrance. Something green jumped into the tiny trickle of water out of the corner of his peripheral and Erik was accosted with a sweet stroke of remembrance from a memory years old.

_ “Hey Leiss, I’m going to jump into that pond and catch a frog! Want me to get you one too?” _

_ “Um…I don’t think that water’s sanitary Erik…” _

_ “…What does that mean...?” _

_ “Um—” _

_ “Oh, come back Mr. Frog! You’re not getting away from me!” _

_ Splash! _

_ “Erik! Come back!” _

The sound of fingers snapping in his face brought him back to reality, blinking back the memory as the redhead girl Ylva (or was it Lovetta?) was standing in front of him. She seemed politely concerned if not curious about the faraway look she had managed to glimpse. “You okay? You were just standing there and didn’t come in so I went to get you.” 

Erik looked around the smaller wolf, assessing the darkish entrance from whence other members of the pack came from. “What’s in there?”

“Hmm…? Oh! It’s our clubhouse— _ kidding. _ Sheesh don’t look like that; lighten up a little.” Ylva bit her lip and frowned petulantly at the incredulous expression from her newest pack member. “But we usually store our things here before we shift. You’re welcome to put your stuff in there too if you’d like.”

For some reason, even though that offer was extended to him and Ylva did come to fetch him herself, his gut told him that wouldn’t be a good idea; not if that same storage space was to be shared with Zayev. Erik felt strangely bad for having to decline her offer but he wasn’t actively looking for a fight if there didn’t need to be one.  Hopefully she would understand. “I think it’s safer if I leave my stuff outside.”

The pout deepens. “Why? I’m not going to look through your stuff this time.”

Comment mercifully ignored, Erik placed his bag down behind a sizeable rock not too far away from the cave. “Look, I just don’t want to start anything with your blue-haired friend.”

“Zayev is not that bad.” It was cute—if not mystifying—to hear the little defensive edge that stained her voice.  How anyone could stand up for that asshole was one of the universe’s greatest mysteries—no exaggeration at all. Regardless, he gave her a shrug for her efforts, the effect of her placing her hands on her hips lost on him. “You guys should try to get along.”

“I don’t think that’s possible.”

“Why?”

“Because he is an outsider and I’m the Alpha of this pack. And I don’t associate with anyone that smells like a meatbag.”

Of course anyone with such a scathing, obnoxious tone had to be the blue-haired alpha wolf that seemed to be steadily becoming the bane of Erik’s existence, walking out the cave with Seff and Lovetta flanking him. He seemed to have been in the midst of undressing for his pants were unbuckled and he was divested of his shirt, revealing an abdomen that would make any straight man think twice about his sexuality. It wasn’t like he’s never seen a guy half-naked before (hello, ex-football star) but he thought the occasion didn’t exactly call for that. And it wasn’t as if Zayev was the only one in this state of undress—Seff and Lovetta were also missing a good amount of clothing. Out of his peripheral he could safely assume he saw a shirt go flying somewhere so it became quickly obvious that Ylva was on her way to join them. Was he missing something here? Some memo that he didn’t get today?

Or was he just stubbornly refusing to connect the dots his instincts had so generously laid out for him? Because the implications already there could only mean...no... _ no. _

As if sensing his bewilderment, or perhaps just reading it on his face, Seff coughed politely and quietly arched a dainty brow. “You know how to shift, right? You know it doesn’t work with clothes so…”

The silent  _ get naked _ was tagged onto the end of that and Erik felt his throat clench for whatever reason.

The others were already starting to finish undressing and the abashed wolf felt heat rising in his cheeks as the two females began to unclasp their bras—he had to turn around then. No, turn around wasn’t an accurate description: he  _ fled. _ A lame excuse and no eye contact and he was heading back the way they came, more flustered than he’s ever been in a long time. He couldn’t wrap his head around how they were so obviously comfortable being completely naked with each other. Nevertheless turning into that other form. How were they not afraid of displaying that grotesque site to one another? How were they not afraid to change period? Of that god-awful agony that was sure to follow?

Easy question!

Simply because they’ve been doing this for their whole lives… _ willingly _ .

And he…well…

_ He didn’t want this. _

Yet it was as if some mysterious force had radioed into his thoughts because not a second later from when he thought this, the howls began. And it wasn’t just coming from the place he left but all around him; a chorus of songs singing of freedom. Of prey and family. Of being a creature of the wild. It filled his very body—his very being, resonating within every nerve and cell, making his heart beat so loudly that it almost deafened out those howls.

_ Hunt. Pack. Run. Chase. _

Simplistic desires given life in powerful impulses; his knees gave out from underneath him, feeling the palms of his hands meet with the softness of the Earth. His clothes…fuck, why did they feel so tight? So confining? He couldn’t breathe and his mind—he was  _ losing _ it. He struggled to inhale precious air in his lungs because it just wasn’t enough; subconscious to how his fingers seemed to possess a will of his own as they grabbed clumsily at this suffocating clothing. He was unconscious to how they tore from his desperation as he fell on his side, shaking; ears, body, and mind filled with a consolidation of howls and this hungry impulse. 

He couldn’t resist the call. He couldn’t resist the pack.

_ Come,  _ it beckoned. 

He couldn’t resist it no matter how much he tried.

So Erik struggles died as quick as they began and just surrendered to his body contorting in that grotesque fashion. He listened to how his bones popped and shifted amongst themselves; felt how his skin became inflamed and itchy when the fur sprouted; how his pants and underwear were decimated upon a bushy tail growing. The disorienting rush of enhanced senses acousting him all at once was staggering and he whimpered, hearing his wolfish voice grate against his ear drums.  It was faster this time—the fastest he’s ever changed and the pain had been subdued to an uncomfortable brush instead of a mind-numbing pulse. Yes…this was how he should be. This was who he was.

Erik threw his head back and joined the chorus of howls, added his song to blend amongst the others.

Then stopped and realized what he was doing.

Seriously…what was he doing?

Before he could take a step back and be baffled at his actions, the feeling of fur brushing along his sides caused him to come back to himself, crimson filling his field of vision. The scent of vanilla and chocolate invaded his nostrils, almost interchangeable in how they meshed so perfectly with each other. Ylva and Lovetta. The two beta females were inspecting him, brushing against his sides with wet noses, yipping excitedly as they circled him. They were slighter than him in frame—but not by much. Sinewy muscle still rippled underneath glossy, crimson fur and the glimpse of fangs and claws showed they were as sharp and as deadly as his own. Their scents were stronger in this form—or maybe his senses were just a lot better. Either way, they smelled comely, welcoming even. And oh so very curious.

Ylva, the one that smelled of vanilla and pineneedles, did look slightly different than her sister in this form. Her right paw was white as well as the fur around her left eye. She was quick to get low to the ground, tail wagging in the air as she barked at him, prompting the black wolf to stare at her in mild confusion. His confusion didn’t last because basic instinct told him she wanted to play but…the part that grew up amongst humans could only wonder  _ how. _

Perhaps sensing his silent struggle and taking pity on him, Lovetta let out a noise that sounded suspiciously like laughter, her white-tipped tail brushing along his nose in playful jest as she mimicked her sister’s position across from her. Ylva, escatsic now at having a playmate, yipped and quite promptly tackled her sister. The two rolled around across the dirt, a giant, destructive mass of unstoppable furball. Erik, initially, wasn’t sure if he should be worried they might hurt themselves but a part of himself said they were perfectly okay and it was just for fun.

Not sure how to proceed, the black wolf sat down on his hunches, looking for some clues on how he should react.

Knowing what to do in a social situation was usually one of his strong points but when you added wolves to the picture…he was understandably at a loss.

Luckily (or unlucky) enough he didn’t have to worry about that much longer for an unmistakable scent followed by a sweet heady one permeated his nostrils at the approach of two others. It was Zayev and Seff respectively, perhaps coming to investigate the commotion. Remarkably enough, Zayev’s fur was the same cobalt-blue like his hair, with even that dash of gold to streak between his ears.  He was as tall as Erik; more muscular about his shoulders; his muzzle perpetualized in a permanent growl to show lethal teeth. He was monstrous, a stark comparison to the golden-furred wolf at his side who wasn’t as tall or nearly as muscular. Seff was more streamlined—more lithe, like he was built for running. Curiously, he still retained the piercings decorating his ears and each pawstep he took was accompanied with a faint jingling of the bangles around his paws. His eyes had been occupied with the two females who had been playing around but flickered in interest at the new wolf in their midst, black nose quivering slightly at his scent. Intrigued, Seff lowered his head respectfully, a soft whine escaping his muzzle as he began to inch closer to Erik to further ingratiate himself with the new alpha, his scent stronger. Tempting. 

God…why did Seff smell so good? Tail lowered, ears flattened back against his skull in curiosity, Erik began to creep closer, wanting to smell the other too. To rub his body along his and—

A blue-furred muzzle snapped viciously in front of the sunny-colored wolf’s face, making the startled omega jump back in surprise, his ears folded back as he growled softly in displeasure at the possessive display.

_ Stay away from him,  _ was the clear meaning. 

Zayev’s darkly colored hues turned upon Erik with a vicious hostility, sizing him up and finding him comparable to a flee if that scoff was anything to go by. He approached Erik, sniffed, and turned away with a commanding bark, summoning the others to his side who appeared reluctant to heed his call. Erik could hardly say he understood what was going on but when they broke out into a run, he felt he had no choice but to follow. 

And hell were they fast.

It wasn’t that he was incapable of keeping up but rather that he was still unwieldy with this body, his brain forever unsynced with its furry shell. Where his packmates leaped over foliage and jumped easily over rocks, Erik stumbled as he tried to keep up, not allowing himself to even think that this was his own body. They moved together—weaved in and out like a well-oiled machine, one body, one heart, one unit. Leading the fore was Zayev, his figure proud, powerful, and irremovable. At his tail were Ylva and Lovetta, seamless and graceful in their run, solid and dependable. And Seff…well , there was just no description for him—just a yellow blur, each muscle working in tandem with each other to propel him forward till it looked like he was flying over the ground. Yet he slowed down, perhaps sensing that Zayev’s attention for once wasn’t on him and he was able to fallback to investigate the black wolf stumbling over his paws like a big puppy trying to keep up with his friends.

Of course Erik couldn’t say he was pleased about this; Seff was already distracting as is with that irresistible scent of his. And now that he slowed down to match his pace with the straggler, making him look like a clumsy amatuer in the process, that scent was all he could focus on. How was no one else affected by this?

Seff, unbothered by all this movement, sniffed curiously at him until he was satisfied, letting out a low growl that sent shivers down Erik’s spine. Something inside him responded to that growl, understanding what he was trying to convey without words.

_ I desire you, Alpha _

No, they couldn’t… _ shouldn’t. _

But he could smell Seff’s attraction to him, could sense it in how his fur brushed against his and how he panted with unsatisfied hunger, ears and tail lowered in willing submission. The desire was strong to stop running and nuzzle the omega wolf. To rub up against him and shower him with affection till he was ready to be mounted—

_ No! _

With a roar, Erik snapped his jaws at the smaller wolf who yelped in fear, looking away when that gaze of hurt and confusion was shot in his direction, not understanding why he was being rejected. It was fortunate that Ylva howled when she did (having caught the scent of something) because Erik didn’t want to think about why he did reject Seff. He just knew—no matter how desirable the smaller wolf was—that he wasn’t the right one. 

Zayev answered her call and their path changed, observing how Lovetta and her sister took the lead this time, picking up the pace.

What was going on? 

Curious himself, Erik shook his head to rid his nose of the lingering sweetness from earlier so he could take a whiff of the air himself, tasting the scent of what smelled like some herbivore. A big one. As if to remind him of its existence, his stomach rumbled painfully, reminding him how he didn’t eat for a whole day. The pain of true hunger was formidable; however, he didn’t think he was hungry enough to want to eat deer or whether animal this was. Not raw and especially like this—like an animal. 

But his views weren’t shared with his packmates who were suddenly communicating with each other via growls, understanding their excitement when a small herd of deer scattered at their closeness. Even though Seff was the fastest from his observation, it was Ylva who put on the extra burst of speed to get closer to their chosen prey: a stag that had a full crown of antlers upon its head.  It was a magnificent specimen; perhaps big enough to give a normal wolf issue. But they weren’t normal. 

They were werewolves.

And they were a lot bigger.

They were going to overcome the stag as they separated it from its herd, Ylva closing in faster than the rest of them, literally snapping at its heels. She was so focused on the hunt that she was missing the way the stag was minutely slowing down in such a way that you would think it was tiring. But something told Erik that something wasn’t right. He bared his teeth, about to bark out a warning when—

The stag, not stopping, hit Ylva with the back of its hoof  across her snout the moment she tried to sink her fangs into its hunches, causing her to release a pained yelp and trip over her forepaws, tumbling into the ground. Everyone stopped; Lovetta first to check on her sister as she nosed her in worry along her body, letting out high-pitched whines of concern. Before Erik could stop himself, being compelled by some instinct to make sure she was okay, he was sniffing at her face, the musk of blood filling his nostrils. Her nose was split, red and glistening as she whined pathetically in pain. Yet her pained noises dissolved into quiet whimpers at Erik’s presence, like he was soothing her somehow. He felt the urge to nuzzle her, to show that she was okay and he would support her…like a good alpha should.

Funny how he barely knew the female but this is what he felt like he was supposed to do. Shame that the sentiment wasn’t shared with everybody.

Perhaps it was intuition that compelled him to move or just keen hearing but Erik found himself leaping back as a blue blur charged him with gnashing teeth, unfortunate strands of fur his only prize.

Did he…had he really been serious this time? Had he been intending to hurt him?

The way he stood almost protectively in front of Ylva, hunched, fangs bared, claws kneading the soil beneath it, tail thrashing, it appeared as if the other alpha was going to attack him again. And this time, Erik would be ready for him. No longer would he just passively accept Zayev’s slights or his coarse remarks; he was tired of being patient. No longer would he be docile. The wolf in him—or rather the wolf that he was wouldn’t be satisfied until he was acknowledged as the more dominant alpha. And if he had to shed blood then so be it.

Whether Zayev had some idea where his thoughts had went to or merely saw it in how Erik mimicked his stance, he took this as permission to attack, charging towards the black wolf once more, his steps like wardrums on the battlefield. The sight itself was terrifying; a part of Erik balked but another—the wolf heeded the challenge with a snarl, telling him without words how to proceed. He braced himself for the inevitable weight of Zayev slamming into him, trying to sink dagger-like fangs into his throat but only managing to graze the surface of his outer coat. Erik retaliated as best as he could, swiping at his face with sharp claws or trying to score a bite around his neck but Zayev was fast. Better yet, he was experienced and that made him dangerous. And as they continued to scruffle, all claws and teeth, wrestling each other to the ground in a animalistic display, a cold feeling of fear began to enclose around the black wolf’s heart.

He was severely outclassed.

Even though he wasn’t losing anything more than clumps of fur, each of Zayev’s strikes were considerate and precise, always changing his angle yet never taking a moment to consider how he should attack. Everytime those fangs grazed him, they sunk deeper and deeper till he finally felt them sink along his back, growling at the sharp, burning pain. Fuck, that hurt. It hurt so much that he  _ almost  _ wanted to submit then and there, but he just continued to thrash wildly in that unyielding grasp.

They continued to sink deeper till Erik could've sworn they were brushing against his spine, pain like electricity jolting through his body. He wanted to cry out but all that came out was weak growls and pants of exhaustion. He…he wouldn’t last like this. With one more half-hearted swipe at Zayev’s side (the only thing he could reach) the other alpha gave a muffled, mocking growl and tossed him hard enough that his back collided with a tree, his weight snapping the poor thing in half. The pain flared up to agonizing levels but still he tried to raise to his paws, stumbling and falling in an embarrassing sight as Zayev approached with a certain amount of finality in his paw steps, quiet, head sunk low.

In those eyes…those bone-chilling eyes, he saw triumph and death. And Erik was hit once again with the fact that he wasn’t  _ allowed _ to lose...simply because that would mean:

_ Death _ .

Even though it was coming closer, Erik’s body wouldn’t cooperate, and he was alarmed at how hurt he actually was. He could feel blood seep down his sides from the open wound on his back; could feel how his body stung where those grazes he believed to be superficial were actually wounds along his body. They sapped at his stamina so much that he could only stare up at his blue-furred adversary with weak defiance when he stood over him, lips curled back into a merciless, wolfish grin. A heavy paw came to settle harshly along his throat, sufficient enough to keep him pinned to the ground as he snarled viciously, jaws snapping at the air. The struggle was futile and they both knew this, but Erik didn’t want to die—not like this.

Golden, sun-kissed hair and liquid amber hues; he had yet to see them again. Had yet to tell their owner about the blossoming feelings in his heart and how he missed him.

The paw on his windpipe grew heavier, shattering his reverie as Erik began to gasp for breath, awaiting death once the other wolf opened his muzzle wide to rip out his throat—

And it never came.

The weight on his throat was abruptly gone; Erik looked around wildly, struggling for breath, trying to see what saved him from the literal jaws of death. 

A brown wolf had tackled Zayev to the ground, snarling reprimanding at the other, as if admonishing him for something. He was slighter bigger than them both and his scent was doused with the heavy musk of alpha. Strangely enough he wasn’t alone; a smaller, white wolf carefully appeared from the bushes, scanning the situation before turning eyes upon Erik.

Crimson red orbs met pained, wide-eyed ones, a familiar, honeyed scent permeating his nostrils.

_ Shiro? _

Why he was here or why he was with the brown wolf was free for speculation. Erik didn’t care much to think on it after his body’s surmounting agony made itself known to him, ignoring the procession of events around him as he allowed himself to place his head on his paws, closing his eyes. He could’ve sworn that Seff’s scent had begun to approach him but an annoying familiar snarl halted that. It wasn’t long before he was alone, much to his surprise. Perhaps he should’ve been thankful for the timely intervention but his heart felt hollow and his pride was in tatters. 

It was the first time he had ever lost a fight.

A petty part of his subconscious argued that he wouldn’t have lost the fight if he had been on two legs but even he knew that was just empty boasting. Zayev had outpaced him every time, had dodged his thoughtless attacks with an ease that was envious. He was at home in his lupine body; which made for sad competition for an amuater wolf like himself. Not to mention the whole pack had been watching, perhaps silently judging his worth and ultimately seeing how weak he was. If anything, he only proved Zayev’s opinion that he was the better alpha and Erik…well…

Was inadequate.

No matter how much he could tell himself he didn’t care what they thought, he knew that was a lie. He didn’t know what the whole dynamic business was about but he knew that an alpha was to be a pillar of strength. Him? No he was brittle and foolish. 

And hurting oh so very much. 

Why wasn’t he healing? Normally, Erik would feel the uncomfortable sensation of his wounds attempting to close but they lay open, seeping that red fluid, staining his inky-black fur with red splotches. Was it because he was hungry? Maybe his body simply didn’t have the energy to fuel such a task? Without a doubt he was starving and had been the entire time, the pangs nipping at his insides and mind insistently, threatening to consume his mind or his innards. He needed to eat; it might help.

Erik had only lifted his head up when a furry object was dropped in front of him. A quick inhale and his brain identified it as a hare, jaws salivating without any say from him. The gift was delivered by the same snowy-white wolf from earlier: Shiro. What seemed to be normal for an omega wolf like him, Shiro was a bit slighter in his frame, perhaps even smaller than Seff. Regardless, he was still a dangerous predator. Albeit one that was currently sitting in front of him, staring at him expectedly.

What? Did he expect him to eat that thing? Fur and all?

Disgusted, Erik turned his head away, the movement irritating his wounds as he once again closed his eyes. That potent scent wasn’t helping the situation and his body was much too weary to do more than quiver his nose and fold back his ears in distaste. Even though his stomach was killing him, how could he in good conscious eat that thing when it was still covered in fur and had all its organs?

Not surprising, Shiro wasn’t particular impressed with his behavior, his wolfish countenance that of quiet displeasure as he made a move to investigate Erik’s wounds— 

Only to receive a barely dodged swipe off a paw for his efforts.

Erik huffed, teeth bared.  _ No thanks _ .

Shiro shook his head and patiently made himself comfortable on the ground, making sure Erik was watching as he made exaggerated motions of licking himself. Did he want him to lick his wounds or something? That seemed kind off gross… In spite of this, he was hurting and he didn’t want to meet Leiss in anytype of fucked up condition—it would just make him worry. And that wasn’t the point of the reunion. 

With this in mind, he gave Shiro a resentful look and reluctantly began to lick at his wounds.

Perhaps maybe the rabbit will be gone too before he was strong enough to leave.

 

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

 

Leiss had to remind himself that they didn’t agree on a specific time when they set up this date. So even though it was three in the afternoon and he had been standing outside of the Starbucks for about two hours now, Erik wasn’t technically late.

So maybe he got lost…or ended up at another Starbucks?

Once again it hadn’t been specified; now that Leiss thought about it, maybe there was more than one Starbucks in Woodcrest and Erik had ended up there. It was foolish that they didn’t go into details when setting up the whole thing but it got lost in the excitement and joy off speaking with each other again. Just hearing that husky voice was enough to make his heart flutter but he was ever his reserved self, only letting a decorum of the true elation he felt slip into his voice. Erik didn’t need to know just how much he missed him—he wasn’t trying to come off desperate.

Still, getting out of the house today hadn’t been an easy feat; Kai had been rather adamant and dramatic about him staying indoors. He had wanted to monitor him (according to his unconvincing reasoning) due today  being the first day he was “clean”. Of course this was more terminology custom made by his cousin so he could remember only giving him this pointed, exasperated look. He felt fine—just anxious about finally seeing his friend again. Even though the Starbucks was literally three minutes away, Kai still didn’t want him to leave. He then proceeded to guilt trip him about how not listening to your cousin resulted in what occurred yesterday. Yet that wasn’t enough to deter him.

Leiss  _ had  _ to see Erik.

There was no negotiations or exceptions.

Of course his delightful cousin wasn’t privy to the entire details (he was just meeting up with a friend was all that was revealed) so he couldn’t understand the intensity of the desire within his cousin. And Leiss could spend years trying to explain but his cousin probably still wouldn’t understand so it was a moot point. So to resolve the whole thing and give his cousin some peace of mind, the younger blond even consented to having Xena spy on him.

Odd how Kai had no qualms after that suggestion.

So here Leiss was, sitting on a public bench right next to the Starbucks with a golden eagle perched atop a building a reasonable distance away acting as a babysitter, hoping that his friend would actually show up. The only reason he was sitting outside was because he was sure there was some type of demon inside and he was curious to see if Erik’s presence would keep him safe. He wasn’t even sure if demons could differentiate between werewolves and humans so it wasn’t without risk. Just to clarify, he wasn’t scared—no, not at all. Just wary. Besides, even though Erik is a werewolf, it isn’t like he was invulnerable—just he was a lot more intimidating then a fledging Nephilim like himself.

“Leiss!”

_ Speak of the devil. _

Jogging and coming to a stop before him was a face that he felt like he hasn’t seen in ages, when not counting that it's only been a couple of days (also excluding that fluke with the demon). Erik was looking more  _ rugged  _ than he ever seen him; that was saying a lot considering the guy was always dirty, sweaty, or in some disheveled state after football practice. His hair was more unkempt than usual (was that a leaf?); already fading, discolored bruises littered his arms along with some minor scraps; and his pupils were remarkably slitted as they restlessly darted this way and that, emphasizing that wild expression on his face. A pained slump hung about his shoulders, like he was concealing some other unseen injury and he looked like he had been running nonstop for days from how desperate his breathing was. Yet in spite of all these worrisome things…he still summoned the energy to give the blond that debonair smile of his.

An unpleasant stinging started behind concerned amber hues as the younger teenager jumped to his feet, unable to contain his worry.

“Erik, are you okay? Are you hurt?”

His friend’s brows furrowed, puzzled, perhaps wondering why he couldn’t see the happiness that he was expecting. Shame that it was being overshadowed by concern. “No, I’m fine. Don’t I look fine?”

Seriously? “You look like something the dog chewed up and spat out.”

The analogy was perhaps a little too close to home for he didn’t miss how Erik stiffened, then winced before relaxing (exactly in that order), his smile a little more forced. “Well, I’m not going to lie and say I haven't seen better days.”

“Yes, I wouldn’t advise it.”

Ah that tone—how he missed it. “Look, I just didn’t want you to worry.”

“It’s a little too late for that. But I’m not going to hound you about it till we go inside.” They just became united again and he wasn’t about to give Erik a hard time—not until they were sitting inside at least. So even as he turned to go inside their designated meeting place, he paused when he saw his friend looking at the establishment with an uncharacteristic amount of apprehension. Odd. Erik actually liked Starbucks; to see him react this way to his favorite coffee place was a  _ another  _ cause for concern. Seriously, what happened today?

“Erik?” Leiss softly inquired, prompting him gently.

Those sea-green hues flickered towards his, sucking in his breath at a glimpse of something animal lurking in those intense depths. “Can we go somewhere else, please?”

The oddities wouldn’t cease today; Leiss’s unease threshold was having a field day. “I thought you loved Starbucks?”

That smile grew more forced if possible. “Somewhere with less people would be nice. If you err…get what I mean.”

_ Oh. _

Was this a…werewolf thing?

Giving his best friend this small reprieve, Leiss nodded graciously, affording the wolf an understanding half-smile that visibly released the mounting tension in Erik’s body. Did Erik feel like his presence here would threaten the people inside? Or was he just not comfortable around humans anymore? He wanted to ask all these questions but he wasn’t sure where they stood with this topic. It was a sensitive one; the last thing their conversation had been about the last time they saw each other. And well…that hadn’t ended well at all. Now, that he’s had time to process and digest that significant detail about his friend, he was willing to work with it—slowly at first, preferably. All these supernatural occurrences had pushed his brain to the limits; that’s not counting the part where he was apparently apart of this race of half-angels and was probably required to hunt demons in the near future. Oh, and don't forget the saving/protecting humanity part as was bidden upon his kind.

Yay…fun times.

_ Not. _

Once again, Leiss didn’t realize he had allowed himself to be sucked into his own thoughts again because Erik was already heading in another direction and had paused because his friend had been spacing out. Embarrassed, the blond hurried after him, having the decency to look apologetic even if his voice didn’t reflect it. “You have somewhere in mind you want to go to instead? Can’t really imagine every place not being crowded at this time.”

“I’m kind of just winging it here… Oh! How about over there?”

Before he could give a yes or a no, Erik was already speeding up to where he set his sights on, drawing an arching, golden brow from his friend who couldn’t understand his friend’s reasoning. And he let this light criticism bleed into his voice. “A park? Erik, there's more people here then in the Starbucks.”

The grin that was shot his way was surprisingly infectious with its sincerity. “But no walls, see?”

“Is that really such a big thing?”

“You have  _ no idea _ .”

As it may be, it would be feasible if Leiss really didn’t have any idea; Erik did seem more like himself—excluding his rough appearance once they got here. That in turn made Leiss relax too, concern not entirely dissipate, but the edge certainly had been removed. If anything, he just wanted to talk.

In addition to himself feeling this way, it would seem Erik felt the same because he found them a spot to sit underneath a cedar tree overlooking a pond. Not so far away a boy and a man were throwing a frisbee for their dog to catch. Leiss just found it funny how his friend was so quick to sit on the ground, with no care to getting dirt on his clothing. This wasn’t anything new; he’s been that way for as long as he could remember.

“So…how’ve you been? Have you gotten used to your new school? Made any friends? I suspect that isn’t hard for you,” Leiss said jokingly as he sat cross-legged next to his friend. Close but not too close too seem suspicious. It was almost darkly amusing to see how his old paranoia back from when his feelings for Erik were new was still influencing him, albeit not as bad as it used to.

Even though his tone had been lighthearted, Erik’s expression became brooding as he looked forward, arm slung out along his arched knee. “I’ll be honest with you: I don’t like the school. And I haven’t made any friends. I seriously hate it there.”

The loathing in his friend's voice was unexpected to say the least so he kept up his light approach. “Wow that bad, huh? To think I was considering switching to your school.”

Erik’s reaction to his jest wasn’t the one he expected; the panic that was in his wide eyes suited that terrorfied expression that showed up on his face when he looked at Leiss. It was as if he walked straight out of hell. “You can’t! It’s not…you…wouldn’t fit there!”

“And why ever not?” Mildly offended, his tone was slightly clipped, something that made the other wince.

“Because it’s not a normal school Leiss.”

“What's not normal about it—”

“Its school for werewolves! Didn’t I tell you that?”

Stunned, Leiss struggled to regain some of his composure, coughing to mask his surprise. He didn’t want his reaction to be taken in a negative way. “No, you neglected that little detail I’m afraid.”

Erik looked like he wanted to say something more but the energy seemed to abandon him, looking at his hands if they held some hidden secrets. It took Leiss a second to figure out that he was avoiding looking at him, his face clouded with so many thoughts that appeared to be causing a considerable amount of stress. To remedy this, the blond took it upon himself to shift a bit closer, eyeing those strong hands before deciding on just placing a comforting hand on broad shoulders. Erik stiffened only for a hot second, turning unreadable orbs onto him. The intensity of that gaze almost took his breath away but he willed his lips to move anyway.

“Listen Erik, about the other day I—”

“Its okay, you know? I understand if you don’t want to be my friend. Its enough your talking to me right now but if your afraid of me, you don’t have to force yourself to continue this conversation,” interrupted the silly werewolf, perhaps coerced by fear of what he  _ thought  _ Leiss was going to say.

The idiot.

Rolling his eyes, wondering how anyone could be so oblivious, Leiss moved his hands to tentatively cover slightly shaking ones, trying not to fall to pieces at that surprised but shyly delighted expression that crossed a handsome face. “I would appreciate if you didn’t use that age-old cliché of ‘I’m-a-non-human creature-so-we-can’t be-friends’. If I cared about you being what you are, I wouldn’t have agreed to hang out with you in the first place. Suffice to say I’m still getting used to the idea, but I suppose it helps explain certain things about you.”

Erik frowned at that thoughtful yet rueful tone, probably having forgotten that they were technically holding hands. “Like what?”

Another eye roll. “You have an obsession with meat.”

“I need the protein!” The wolf exclaimed defensively.

Amber hues made an exaggerated show of appraising the obviously athletic creature sitting next to him. “Yes, I suppose you definitely need more protein. I wonder where on your body you have room to develop more muscle. Maybe your brain. Perhaps?”

“Was that sarcasm?”

“Possibly.”

“Do you know you can be a real jerk sometimes?”

“Duly noted.”

The laugh that came from the black haired teenager was surprising but no less heartwarming, happy that he ,melted some of that doubt and moodiness from his normally chill exterior. When was the last time he heard Erik laugh? So he was content to let the guy laugh for a good 15 seconds ago till it fizzled out to little snickers. He only stopped after glancing down and noticing their still touching hands, turning an undeniable crimson as he placed his own pair back at his sides. For some reason, his eyes seemed to be determined to look everywhere but at him.

Was Erik…embarrassed?

“Seriously enough about me though. I don’t really like talking about that school. Everyone is too weird or insane. Or both.” The embarrassment suffused his voice even though he was trying to change the subject. The brooding look was back in a less extreme version—more of a consternated frown if anything.

“I get that. Just it's kind of fascinating that your going to a all werewolf school. I could’ve sworn that happened only in fiction.” Well it was fascinating, in a scary kind of way. How was it no one heard or seen any evidence of an all werewolf school? 

“Well it's my reality, okay?” was the sour, combative response.

Leiss lips smoothed into a neutral line, unimpressed with that somewhat miffed response. “Relax. You can’t expect me not to express my thoughts. It's not everyday your best friend is a werewolf.”

“I still can’t believe you're okay with this—just like that.”

“Well, I don’t think I have much of a choice, do I?”

Again that rueful smile. “No, I suppose not.” Erik finally gathered whether courage he needed to look Leiss in the eye again, having been pulling at the grass underneath them. “How’s it been for you? I really can’t believe you would come all the way down to Woodcrest just to see me.”

_ Oh, but Erik I would, _ Leiss dearly wanted to say but knew that wouldn’t be appropriate, preferring that over the circumstances that actually caused him to be here. He genuinely contemplated not telling Erik, howbeit that not be the fair thing to do. Just that…speaking it into existence would serve as a cringe worthy reminder. But Erik had been honesty and forethecoming about his experiences and the truth about himself—despite it taking the entirety of the time they knew each other to do so.

Taking a deep breath, hoping his voice wouldn’t betray him from the sorrow churning in his heart, he spoke:

“My father kind of disowned me so I’m staying with my cousin for the time being.”

The way Erik turned his entire body to face him was fast enough to give a normal person whiplash, face a angry mixture of disbelief and fury. “What!? How could he— _ why?” _

_ “ _ Erik lower your voice,” hissed Leiss, looking around Erik’s shoulder to see that a couple playing chess nearby shot them curious glances. But going from how angry he still was, his command had be ignored. Figures. “I told him of my preferences in terms of a romantic partner.” Half truth, there. It was very explicitly stated as to who he longed to be involved with.

The werewolf opened his mouth then closed it, trying to piece his thoughts together. He looked like he wanted to say something but he refrained if the questionable look in his eye was an indicator. “I thought he already knew.”

Leiss shrugged hopelessly. “No, we never had that conversation but I felt he always knew so there wasn’t a point. To put it bluntly, he didn’t take it too well so he kicked me out. Nor does he want to see me again.”

“Leiss I’m…I’m sorry.”

The mumbled admission drew the topaz-hued gaze of the blond who could do little more than look appreciative “It’s fine. I’m— _ ah, Erik _ .”

Strong arms encircled around his shoulders to bring him close into a bone-crushing hug, enveloping him in this musky scent of Earth and forest. His body heat was unreal—hot enough that he could be a living furnace. The suddenness of the action left Leiss speechless, seeing nothing but the clear blue sky above and listening to the solid rhythm of Erik’s heart within a firm chest. It was euphoric, being embraced like this, even if the intentions behind it was just to provide comfort. How often had his dreams been filled with this innocent action? How often did he imagine such closeness? More times than he could count; so he was loathe to surrender it, about to say words when he paused at Erik doing something astounding.

The wolf had buried his face into Leiss’s neatly styled hair, something akin to a purring rumble coming from him. 

Swallowing, heart in his throat, the blond let out a whisper, his words softer than a spring breeze, “Erik…”

His answer was the tightening of powerful arms, and a breathy sigh. “You smell so good—do you know that?”

Pale skin flushed more red than the finest of wine. Did he really just say that? “T-Thanks? Erik…are you okay?  It isn’t like you to err…sniff my hair?”

Just like that the spell was broken and Erik had released him, abashed and coincidentally looking away at Leiss’s curious, prying gaze. He was about to question him when his phone started to ring. Annoyed,  not even looking at the caller ID and unable to keep some of that displeasure from bleeding into his voice he answered, “Yes, hello?”

_ “Leiss, come back home. Its urgent.” _

_ “ _ Kai?”

_ “No, it’s the pope—of course it's Kai. Who else has this number besides me?” _

“I don’t know? An alternate version of yourself from another universe? Anyway, what's the problem? I’m somewhat occupied.”

The scoff from the other end was rather surprising and he imagined his cousin giving him the most skeptical expression ever. It didn’t help that he was more interested in staring at Erik who’s crimson fluster died down to something more manageable, pretending that he wasn’t listening attentively to the phone conversation. Leiss could only pray that Kai didn’t say anything that wasn’t phone friendly.  _ “Are you? You could at least make yourself sound a bit more convincing, my theater loving friend. Anyway, need you home, preferably now. Will tell you when you get here.” _

“Sure. I’ll just turn on my teleporter and be there in point five seconds.”

_ “Bye Leiss.” _

_ Click. _

That was just perfect. Of course he couldn’t just enjoy this one moment of happiness.

Perhaps feeling the the discontent rolling off him in waves or just simply studying his discontented expression, Erik asked cautiously, “Everything okay?”

“I don’t know,” was the exasperated reply, glaring at his phone as he rose to his feet. Why was the universe so intent on separating them all the time. “I have to go. My cousin obviously has something important he needs me for that can't be put on hold because some people have other priorities.”

“He seems like a jerk.”

“Don’t be so judgemental; I’m sure it’s important.”  _ Hopefully. _

“Yeah, I suppose whatever the pope has to say must be important.”

At this, Leiss couldn’t help but turning to look at his friend, unfiltered bewilderment upon his face. “You heard that?”

Erik shrugged, a self-deprecating expression about his face as he too rose to his feet, wincing. “I hear most things. And a lot of those things you kind of wish you never heard.” He fixed his face at the imploring scrutiny of his friend, grinning wolfishly. “So when are we going to meet up again? I wouldn’t mind meeting you after my classes. They end around three.”

That warm feeling suffused his body again, unable to restrain himself from returning that grin with a sincere one of his own. “Sure. Just text me—wait.”

Sensing something incoming, Erik was wise enough to look apprehensive. “What?”

“How did you get here? You don’t have a car and I can’t imagine your school is that close to this location?”

The wolf blinked slowly, speaking carefully, as if expecting his answer to be received poorly. “I got here on four legs—met up with you on two.”

_ Christ. _

“You...you ran here as a wolf,” Leiss summarized faintly, wondering if this was a joke. “But how—your clothing? I don’t understand.”

“You worry about things that aren’t important. Shouldn’t you be getting back to your cousin? I can walk you back if you want.”

Before Leiss could impulsively give his answer, a conveniently time cry from Xena who had apparently followed them, cruising about in the air, stopped him. He wasn’t sure if it was good idea to bring Erik back there—what if Kai could tell he was werewolf or something? And he wasn’t sure if he was ready to reveal Nephilim part of himself to Erik when the revelation was still so fresh and raw in his brain. Still, it would hurt to deny his friend this simple desire, as well as himself. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Kai kind of hates football and his apartment reflects that. And I’d rather you guys not fight.”

“I’m sorry; I was wrong. He isn’t a jerk, but an asshole. Who doesn’t like football? Are you sure you’re related?” Maybe that wasn’t the best reasoning because Erik’s passion for the sport remained undying. Good to see that part of himself remained unchanged. 

“Yes, I’m sure.” The blond really wanted to say he only liked the sport because of a certain someone but sagely kept his mouth close, preparing to leave. “So tomorrow...same time and spot?”

Forgetting his disgust over his friend’s kin disliking the best sport in the world for a moment, Erik noded, a sadness in his eyes that was shared but enthusiasm for their next meeting elevated this is a bit for them both. “Yeah, shoot me a text first though.”

“If you look at your phone for once, sure.”

“I will—don’t look at me like that! Your making me feel bad.” Even though the cynicism in amber hues was there making him wince, Erik still couldn’t say he didn’t miss that look, unbeknownst to his friend. “I promise, okay?”

“I’ll hold you to that, playmaker,” Leiss chuckled warmly, using that affectionate epithet reserved only for his best friend as he waved in farewell and walked off, feeling like he was leaving his heart behind. He didn’t notice how those sorrowful eyes watched his departed from, wanting nothing more to run after him...on four legs or two; it didn’t matter.

Their worlds were different now but maybe one day Erik could erase that line of division between them, and walk forever at his side as both man and wolf in true harmony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to let you guys know I truly do appreciate every kudo, bookmark, and comment! Its the best motivation I can ever receive so thank you so much guys! <'3


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